Falling to Pieces
by Ana-DaughterofHades
Summary: The raw pain of losing her bending calls for Katara to cry out in pain though she won't. It hurts, in her arms, her legs, and her heart. It feels like her central core, her chi energy, has been extinguished. Where is that fine line when fire becomes life and water, destruction? Zutara/Blutara. Set during season 2.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own AtLA.**

* * *

"I can't believe I was so stupid." Katara mumbles to herself.

Her back is pressed to the hardback of one of many trees that litter the forest, blocking the moon from shining down to the ground. The night shrouds her in a blanket of darkness, making her strain her eyes to see what is around her.

Her mouth is pressed into a thin line as she rubs her hands up and down her bare arms. A breeze comes, causing a sudden shiver to run up her spine. The breeze ruffles the bottom of her dress.

Katara's head snaps up, but sighs a relief when it was just a bird flying a over head. An owl of some sort, she thinks..

She pushes off from her position on the tree. Before she can walk ten feet, she feels a tug at the bottom of her dress. She groans in frustration as another part of her dress has caught onto a bare bush, void of leaves for the time being. Her hand grips the smooth fabric, tugging slightly, but with no luck. Her hands clench, bunching the fabric into the palm of her hand. Sick of wandering through the woods, she yanks at her dress, not cringing at the rough tear it causes.

The sudden force makes Katara stumble back, cursing silently to herself when she trips over twigs and rocks that litter the ground underneath her feet. One of her feet catches on a loose rock, landing her flat on the ground. Dirt clots her hair, and she coughs as a whiff of dust clogs her nose. Her blue eyes open to the a clear sight of a crescent moon. A smile graces her lips for the first time the whole night. She lays there on her back, contemplating if she should move. Her mind snaps out of her musings when gruff voices are heard in the distance.

Telling Katara that she is not alone.

The middle of a forest is not an ideal spot to be wandering around, or laying down, in the dead of the night. The leaves crinkle as starts to make her way into a standing position.

Low hanging branches from trees attack her hair, pulling strands away from the braid she had plaited her hair into, not even two hours before.

She brings her hands to wipe away any dirt that might have stuck to the back of her clothes, but she only manages to brush her dirt caked hands on her dress, smearing the dress with even more dirt and mud.

Her feet shuffle along a worn path, already caked with the loose dirt that drifts up into the air when ever she places as step.

It has been two hours since she left her friends. It has been two hours and she has no idea where she is, where Aang, Sokka, and Toph are.

Her blue dress, torn where a branch had caught hold of it, swishes around her ankles. The sudden touch to her legs makes her jump. She quickly brushes at her legs, wondering if a bug had decided to crawl up while she wasn't looking.

Katara is fed up with useless wandering. The best plan right now is to go try to go back to the campsite and pray that they hadn't left yet.

She turns, almost colliding with a tree as a another loud commotion startles her to the point of jumping, causing her to stumble forward. The bark is rough against her hands as she stables herself by holding onto the tree she had just been standing against..

The woods are quiet, the sound having already disrupted. A clang of swords follows, the sound echoing off the trees. Curiosity overrules her common sense as she goes to investigate.

Katara runs down the small slope, her feet slipping on loose rocks that tumble past her on their way down the hill.

Her eyes catch a hinting that she has stumbled upon a main traveling road.

At first it is too dark to see who or what caused the commotion. Her eyes slowly adjust to the new light of the moon coming out from behind a cloud.

A group of men, some distance away, are busy fighting.

Though it is still dark, Katara's eyesight quickly swings to small fires littered on the ground. The heat makes the air insufferable, some of the sparking embers land on dead brush, lighting it up in a quick fashion. Katara uncorks her flask, bending water out of it, throwing it over the fire in globes. The fire hisses and steams, slowly losing life.

Katara cringes at the sound of dying fires. She hunches her shoulders, hoping no one sees her.

No one has noticed. The men are not focused on fire or the girl who put it out.

The group of men, in Fire Nation gear, are focused on a shadow. A dancing shadow with glinting blades. A shadow up against a dozen Fire Nation soldiers.

A blue mask in the darkness moves with swiftness. Men fall one by one. Katara gathers more water from the pouch at her side.

Any person, mask or not, who hurts the Fire Nation is a potential ally. Katara can't have an ally die while she is watching.

Out from under the cover of the trees, Katara runs straight into one of the soldier's chest, who did notice the sudden lose of light from the existing fires. The man looks down, surprise is evident as it spreads across his face but is soon covered up by anger. His brown eyes narrow through his helmet.

Katara takes a step backwards, giving herself enough room to bend a whip.

"I don't have time to deal with a girl." The man growls. With the fire extinguished, it's too dark to see the water in her hands.

The man prepares to backhand her to the ground, but is caught off guard when a water whip snakes around the his legs, pulling him off his feet and onto the hard ground with a resonating crash.

Though the man's didn't seem to be moving, his mouth is still in perfect working order. "It's a waterbender! Forget the vigilanti."

The soldiers turn to their comrade on the ground staring inquisitively at him. Katara can see some soldiers test the word 'waterbender' on their lips as it is foreign thing to say. Even the shadow stops dancing, coming fully into the light. A blue and white demon mask is attached to a man's body, adorned with grab of the lower class of Earth Kingdom citizens.

Katara brings her hands up, the water running down her arms, to create two enormous whips. Katara stares at the masked men, nodding to him that she is on his side. She remembers his wanted poster, the characters of his name sticking in her mind, the Blue Spirit.

The man on the ground, getting angrier by the second, lifts his head up. "You're all idiots. It's the girl, get the gi-"

Water freezes over the man's mouth, cutting off the order, but the shock had worn off of the soldiers by the time the water finishes coating his mouth. Fire forms around the fists of many, while others grip their swords tightly, not having the advantage of being a bender.

The Blue Spirit sees he has a distraction and starts to attack. This time, there is more vigor in his swings, more force knocking the men down. Light on his feet, he evades the men's blows.

Katara dodges fire blasts and grazes of blades. She freezes men to the ground, only for them to quickly melt himself out of her traps. At one point she finds herself back to back with the Blue Spirit. He breaths are heavy and Katara notices that he smells like a campfire and the woods, but she notes that there is a lingering hint of smoke to him as well.

The Blue Spirit's back is warm, unnaturally warm for an Earth Kingdom citizen. But the feeling leaves as quickly as it came. The Blue Spirit tenses and springs from Katara's side onto another Fire Nation soldier.

Katara places a foot out in front of her, getting ready to freeze another person. She is grabbed by the back of her dress. She struggles, even considers disrobing to get out of the man's hold. Before she has time to untie the shash, her arms are forced down. A cold metal clamp is placed on them, one on one wrist, its twin clamps on her other wrist. The cold metal pinches her skin to the point of drawing blood.

The water Katara had been bending, drops to her feet in puddles, sloshing her in a taunting manner, but is of little use to her in her present condition.

There is a sharp pain in her body as the loss of bending comes in as a wave of emotions. The Fire Nation had put chi blockers on her. The raw pain of losing her bending calls for Katara to cry out in pain though she won't. It hurts, in her arms, her legs and her heart. It feels like her central core, her chi energy, has been extinguished.

The face of fury and anger of the man her eyes are locked onto, raises a sword,planning to strike if she makes a move to escape. She stares helplessly up at him. Her loose brown hair frames her face, hiding her expression from onlookers.

The man who had taken away from her bending jerks upright, who prepares to swing the sword down on her head if she makes any sudden moves, cries out in pain. The man topples forward just as Katara slides out of the way so she won't be crushed.

The soldier's back is to the night sky as he hits the earth, a dao sword sticks upright in the middle of the dead body's back, vibrating back and forth from the sudden impact with skin. Blood seeps out of the fatal wound and slowly makes its way to the ground.

Katara looks over at the Blue Spirit, who is now fighting with one sword. His evades more than he attacks. The offset of only one blade is throws him off, but he keeps good balance in evading a soldier's fire blasts.

The blade is still buried deep in the man's back. Behind her, Katara hears the grunting of another soldier. He had picked himself off of the ground, rubbing the back of his head where the Blue Spirit had hit him with the butt of his sword.

Katara's wrists clink together, reminding her that she is weaponless, thus defenseless. She looks back at the man's body, now stone cold. She pulls the fallen dao sword from the man's back, keeping the bile down in her stomach as she sees the dark red blood coating the blade.

The single sword weighs heavily in her hand, the blood drips to the ground as the sword tips forward. But the man is coming up behind her. Without thinking she swings the sword at the man only to be blocked. She dodges, rolling away on the ground just as the man's blade brushes the air where she had been standing.

Katara crouches, panting heavily. She barely has the strength to lift the sword anymore, much less defend another attack. Deciding on a different tactic, she brings the sword down on her wrists, trying to break the chi bands that block her bending. A loud clang rings off as the bands crack open. Katara feels a surge of power as her bending comes back to her.

The water that had been suddenly dropped in loss of her bending is back in Katara's hand. The water coates her arms as she takes a ready stance. In seeing his predicament, the man turns to run, only to bump into the Blue Spirit.

With one dao sword, the Blue Spirit slashes at the man's legs, incapacitating him. Wincing at the sight of the blood dripping from the Blue Spirit's sword; she quickly freezes all the men to the near by trees, hoping no more blood would have to be shed that night.

Through their grogginess, the Fire Nation soldiers groan but make no attempt to melt the ice that surrounds them.

The Blue Spirit bends down to pick up his lost blade. Hearing the noise of the clinking steel, Katara turns to look at him.

He wipes the blade off on one of the dead man's clothes. His hand stops in mid swipe, his blue mask lifts from the view of the ground. Katara can see nothing behind his eye slits, only darkness.

Her blue eyes stare inquisitively at him as the Blue Spirit turns to grab a discarded ostrich horse, and starts walking down the narrow road, hoping to be consumed by the darkness.

Katara lets the water surrounding her arms drop to the ground in her sudden haste to chase after the masked man.

* * *

 **Here's the new story I have been promising you. First chapters a usually rough for me, but I have a good story line planed out that I think you will enjoy:) Don't expect the second chapter soon, I have finals coming up in a couple of weeks so I need to prepare for those. So probably around the end of June.**

 **Tell me what you think...**

 **Please Review/Favorite/Follow:)**

 **PS I have an instagram now. It's ana_daughterofhades... I post AtLA and other fandom things.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own AtLA.**

 **Thanks to The Congressman and iluvjessemac for reviewing:)**

 **Thanks to all who Favorited/Followed:)**

 **So I lied. I had more free time on my hands than I thought I would this week, so I decided to finish writing the second chapter and post it.**

* * *

He traces his response on the ground. There is a dead silence, save for the scratches of the stick and the chirping of the night time wildlife.

Katara leans closer, trying to make out his words in the dark. The moon helps her see his messy script in the dirt, but there is a type of elegance to it, that if he was writing on parchment, it would be perfect.

 _'They were Fire Nation troops, scouting out the area for a new stronghold. They were mostly non benders, but there were a few firebenders in there.'_

Katara sees the Blue Spirit winch, tenderly rubbing the side area of his ribs. For the first time Katara notices that he is hurt. Blood is accumulating on his clothes, looking fresh and thick. When he brings his gloved hands away, they're stained with a dark red that glistens in the moon light.

"You're hurt." Katara moves closer to him, wanting to heal his wound.

The Blue Spirit steps away from her outstretched hands. His breath is heavy as he traces another message filled with characters in the ground. _'I'm fine. Leave, go somewhere else that is not here. I don't want to be responsible for another life. I have enough to worry about.'_

"You're going to pass out from that wound." Katara says, ignoring his previous message. "There's too much blood on your clothes for that wound to be just a scratch. You'll make me walk away, and you'll wake up to the Fire Nation soldiers surrounding you. Or worse, you won't wake up because you died from blood loss. How will you fight the Fire Nation then?"

His blue demon mask is leveled to her face. Katara places her arms across her chest, knowing that he is narrowing his eyes at her. She taps her foot impatiently on the ground, waiting for his decision.

The scratch, scratch of the stick is heard.

 _'Are you always this annoying?'_ Katara ignores his comment. After a moment, he takes his hand from his side. Blood drips onto the ground, staining the grass below a color that can't be seen in the dark.

Sighing, he writes, _'We'll camp here.'_

The Blue Spirit drops his pack and ties his ostrich horse to the tree closest to him.

Katara, not having any supplies or belongings on her, stands there, waiting for him to be done. Something bumps up and down at her hip as she starts to gather sticks for the fire. Katara flushes at the fact that she forgot about her bending flask by her hip. She checks to make sure that there is still water in it only to realize she had dropped it in her sudden haste to chase after the Blue Spirit. She bites her lip at the predicament she has now found herself in.

"Um.. Is there a river around or a puddle?"

His hand that is not piling wood to make a fire is pressed to his side, trying to keep pressure on his wound. With effort, he shakily grabs his tracing stick, scrawling a rickety message in the ground for Katara to see. _'You're the waterbender. You tell me.'_

Tell him? What did he mean by that? Sure, Katara has an inkling of when they are close to water. The feeling is like someone is flicking her in the side, but she hasn't felt anything. Still, Katara has never purposely reached out to find water; she lets the feeling come to her. Is that what he wants her to do?

Obviously frustrated that she isn't getting his meaning, he traces another sentence in the ground. The lines are deep with frustration.

 _'Feel for the flow of water. Reach out with your chi to find the push and pull of the water.'_ The Blue Spirit grips the left side of his body. He leans heavily on his writing stick in an effort to stand up straight.

Feel for water, she could try to do that. No, she has to do it, and soon.

Katara lets herself forget about her surroundings and lets her mind focus on water; clear flowing water that can easily slide away if a tight hold is not kept on it.

In her mind, she follows a golden, shimmering path leading her through the woods. Behind her, she can sense the blood flowing through the Blue Spirit's veins, and the blood leaking steadily out of his wound.

She wanders forward, pushing back branches and bushes as she follows the golden path. Her knees buckle, causing her to stumble forward and eventually kneeling onto the ground. The flicking of her side feeling has changed to a dagger being stabbed through her. She curls her fingers into fist, clenching them so they turn white. Her nails dig crescent moons into her palms. The pain is unbearable, and Katara doesn't know why it has changed. She opens her eyes to find herself kneeling next to a trickling stream.

She releases her mind from this path and is jolted back into her body.

The slight trickle of a stream is only a few trees and boulders away from their temporary camp site. It was too small for her original senses to pick it up before.

Though her fingers go to rub the side where it felt like a dagger had been, a smile grows on her face. She has never used her powers like that before. It's strange the Blue Spirit, a non bender, knew of a trick like that, but she pushes it from her mind, focusing on finding the water source with a physical form.

"You better come with me."

The Blue Spirit takes a step, only to crumple. Katara rushes to his side, lacing his arm around her shoulder. She grunts at his weight as she is the sole supporter of both of them.

His feet drag along the forest floor. His masked head lollies forward as his breathing slows.

"Stay with me now. We're almost there."

The dagger is back. She almost drops both of him and herself in a sudden flash of pain.

There is a crop of rocks lining the hidden stream. She lays the Blue Spirit gently down on the rocks and waits for him to focus.

He moans, altering Katara that at least he isn't dead. She quickly bends the water from the stream.

"Take off your shirt."

The Blue Spirit has enough energy to pick his head up and give her an 'are you serious' expression. At least that's what Katara thinks. It is hard to tell with the mask having one expression, grinning demonically, but she assumes that's what the person on the other side is making.

"Don't look at me like that. The only way I can heal you is if you take off your shirt!"

The Blue Spirit grudenly brings the shirt over his head, visibly shaking when he has to strain his side to bring it over his mask. He winces as he throws his shirt down to the water side, narrowly missing his shirt being drenched with water.

Katara gasps at the sight of his wound.

First, it seems like the area was hit with a timed fire blast. Some of the surrounding skin is charred and puckered red from the heat of the fire. Over the burn is slash from one of the soldier's swords, extending down his side. The slash is deep; blood continues to gush out, not slowing to a trickle.

Katara bites her lip as she coats the water around her hand, making a glove. The wound is worse than Katara thought it was; she should have gotten to it sooner. The blood that is still pooling around the wound, starts to make its way to the rock below, staining the ends of Katara's dress. Some of the blood drips off of the rock and onto the ground below, coating the grass with a dark red.

She kneels in front of the Blue Spirit, bringing her hands to the wound. The water swirls around her fingers as she lays her hands firmly on his skin. He flinches at her touch.

"Honestly, I am not going to hurt you. Just relax."

The water glows a bright blue against the Blue Spirit's pale skin. The gash is long, to long to have the water cover it all at once. Katara moves her hands up and down focusing on stopping the bleeding first, then to close the wound.

She directs his chi energy to heal; she draws the energy to his wound, hoping his chi energy will help with the healing process.

Blood starts to mix with her healing water, lacing through the blue water as a thin red cloud.

The Blue Spirit mumbles something incoherently behind his mask. It doesn't even phase Katara that he almost talked; she is focused on bring new water to the wound, discarding the old water onto a near by tree.

After a new coat of water is on her hands, the wound starts to close to a long red scratch, then a scar, then perfectly smooth skin.

She lets the water drop back on the ground. "There. You're all better."

His skin glistens with sweat from the effort of trying not to pass out. Katara's body shakes as she tries to stand up. Her eyes glaze over and her head starts to pound from the effort of healing for so long.

Her feet waver on the rock she had been kneeling on. An arm laces under her as her body starts to sway to the ground.

The Blue Spirit's mask is hovering above her face. She takes his silence as a thank you.

She pats his now clothed chest. "I'm fine. You can let go."

The Blue Spirit grunts disbelievingly, but relases her.

Katara smiles and takes a step off the rock. With a soft leap, she lands on her feet. Her legs give out from under her due to pure exhaustion. She closes her eyes as he body foldes to the ground. The Blue Spirit catches her before Katara has a chance to fall.

She stumbles back through the woods, this time her full body weight is on the Blue Spirit. He doesn't seem to have a problem supporting her, even with his near death experience.

He gives her his sleeping mat for the night; she is too tired to say thank you.

It's dawn when she wakes; the bright sun glares in her eyes. She sits up, rubbing out the sleep from her eyes. There are charred remains of a fire from last night she doesn't remember anybody starting. The Blue Spirit is gone, but his dao swords and ostrich horse are still near the tree.

She doesn't care where he went off to just as long as he comes back.

Katara stands up, letting the blanket that covered her, fall away. Her brow furrows as her side feels oddly sticky and stiff. Her blue eyes go wide as she stares at her dress. It is covered in the Blue Spirit's blood. Red hand prints stain the end of her dress where she had wiped her hands off, trying to get rid of his blood. But the right side is soaked, just starting to dry, from when he was leaning heavily against her.

She sits by the fire, sighing with her head in her hands; her dirty hair falls in front of her face. Footprints are heard walking back into the camp. She hears the quiet tying of a ribbon and the scuffle of boots stopping in their tracks. She could turn around right now to see who the Blue Spirit is, but she doesn't. She sits by the burnt out fire wondering why she wandered away from her friends in the first place.

* * *

 **Second chapter is done. I don't remember specifically how Katara was at finiding water during the show, so I am doing a different take on her bending which will play an important role in this story. I'm sorry if I make Katara's bending seem weaker than it is... Along with that, I figuered Iroh taught Zuko some tricks that he is applying to Katara's waterbending.**

 **Speaking of that, this story takes place after _Zuko Alone_ but before _The Chase._ **

**Please Review/Favorite/Follow:)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

 **Thanks to** WaterPrincess17 **,** The Congressman **,** Lunachan90 **, and** Zutarafan1992 **for reviewing:)**

 **Thanks to all who Followed/Favorited:)**

* * *

Zuko wakes up at the crack of dawn. He wakes up with the sun just coming through the leaves of the trees. He goes to run a hand through his bed head only for his hand to hit the wood of his mask.

Sleeping with a theater mask is never the comfiest thing, but he couldn't risk the waterbender, Katara, waking up in the middle of the night, and seeing him unmasked.

Zuko shivers from the morning air, wishing he never gave his only blanket to Katara, after he had already given her his bed roll. Honestly, he wasn't thinking. Zuko had spent most of the night tossing and turning, using his firebending heat as his missing blanket.

Zuko rolls over, whispering a curse as a rock stabs his side where Katara had healed his wound a few nights before. The jolt wakes him up completely as his eyes go wide from taking in a flash of the morning light.

Katara doesn't stir from all the commotion he is making, which Zuko is glad for. He can't deal with the curious waterbender right now. He just needs time to think.

He stares up at the lightening sky for a few minutes before he realizes he won't be able to go back to sleep; Zuko decides to go find the stream where she had healed him a few days prior.

His shoes crush leaves that are scattered along the hidden path as he follows a vaguely familiar trail he and Katara had followed before. The forest looks different in the daytime, or the early morning, no longer looking menacing in the half delirious state he was in when Katara had healed him. Yet, it has an eerie silence to it as the morning birds have not awoken yet.

His footsteps, and the thoughts screaming inside his head, are the only things heard in the woods. The sudden sound of early morning chirping startles him enough for his feet to lift of the ground ever so slightly.

It had just been him and his thoughts, now the forest is waking up. Now he has company.

When he gets his heart rate under control, he notices he is near the small stream Katara had brought him to.

Zuko's fingers go to the back of his head, carefully untying his mask. The Blue Spirit mask drops from his fingers; the ribbons flutter in the wind.

He hadn't left the waterbender's side in the last few days, not quite trusting her to be by herself. Not that she knew that the Blue Spirit was him, but just because Zuko wasn't sure he could trust Katara not to run off with his ostrich horse, and what little supplies he has.

She is asleep now, so Zuko felt it was time to wash up.

He takes in a big breath of air, welcoming the taste on his tongue. He leaves his mask on a patch of grass, then ventures over to the stream.

He cups his hands, allowing water to flow through them before he splashes the rest on his face. Droplets drip from his nose, splashing back into the stream, whose current flows steadily farther into the woods, ending somewhere far away.

Zuko can feel the grime coating his body like a second skin. He peels his shirt off of his body, deciding it was time to clean the article of clothing. The blood from Zuko's healed wound is still crusted to the material; he gives up washing it when his hands turn red from scrubbing them raw. Maybe the waterbender will know what to do with his shirt.

With his shirt off, Zuko lets his body soak in the morning sun as he splashes more water onto his face to wash away the dirt crusted to his skin. Unfortunately, the stream is too small to take a full proper bath, but Zuko makes do with what is in front of him. He cups the water in his hands, bringing it up over his shoulder to run down his back.

He dunks his head in the water, washing away the grease in his hair. The water, not having warmed up from the heat of the sun, is a brisk wake up call as the freezing temperature works its way into Zuko's nose and mouth.

He brings his head up, sputtering as he wipes away the water clinging to his face.

Zuko pushes his hair away that is plastered to his forehead, squinting as droplets run back into his eyes. The sun is over the trees by this time; the forest is wide awake now, the rustling of the bushes causing his head to turn at every sound, wondering if the waterbender is awake.

He slows his breathing down, calming his heart rate to a steady rhythmic beat.

His arms stretch over his head, and then he brings them down to perform the first firebending kata of the day.

Fire sprays out of Zuko's clenched fist, barely missing charring the bark of the tree in front of him.

He needs to keep his fire under control, especially now that he has an unwanted traveling companion.

He grits his teeth and starts again. By the first light of the morning sun, he performs the basic set of katas.

Zuko's hands land by his side. Sweat clings to his brow as he tries to control his breathing. In a sudden fit of rage, he punches the bark of a tree. His skin scrapes off of his knuckles, causing them to bleed. He punches the bark again as his anger grows. Zuko has always been careful enough to not have anyone see him, besides Fire Nation soldiers. Now he has a waterbender tagging along, one he doesn't know what to do with.

As he seeths quietly to himself, he picks up his discarded shirt, that is still wet, and the mask, putting them both back on. Zuko's wet shirt clings to his body, but now it is too late to dry it with his firebending since Zuko is to close to their camp site. He cringes as the cold from the water seeps into him as he ties the ribbons together. The mask's familiar weight is a comfort to Zuko as he goes back to check on the waterbender.

She hasn't even woken; it's the first thing Zuko notices when he enters their relatively clear camp site.

She is still a lump huddled under a mass of one blanket. Her form trembles slightly, whether it is caused by a dream or the cold morning breeze, Zuko does not know.

He stands over her; his body shadowing her petite form. She still has not woken.

The waterbender's body flips over, now her face is uncovered by the blanket. Zuko sees sweat laced on her brow, and her features are scrunched in concentration.

"Aang…"

At first Zuko isn't certain he heard her correctly, and to his shame, it takes him a minute to wonder who 'Aang' is. Of course he's the Avatar. Under his Blue Spirit mask, Zuko's lips curl up in a sneer.

"Aang… Sokka.. stop fighting."

Already in a sour mood, Zuko decides to wake the waterbender. He roughly grabs her shoulder, shaking her out of whatever dream state she was in.

"Stop it Sokka. I'll be up to make you breakfast soon." She mumbles as she slowly opens her eyes from the first time that day. When her eyes adjust, her mouth turns down in a frown. "Oh.." Disappointment is evident on her face. "It's just you."

Zuko wants to retort something witty back, but he soon remembers he isn't supposed to talk.

"I suppose you want me to make you breakfast." She says as she rolls up her- his -bed roll.

He shakes his head, holding out some dried fruit rations he took off one of the soldiers they had fought a few nights ago.

She takes the food without question and without meeting his eyes. "What am I going to do now?" She sighs, not realizing she had said that out loud.

Zuko leaves her for a second, coming back with a good size writing stick.

 _'You don't have to stay here with me.'_

"I don't have anywhere else to go."

 _'You have no idea where your friends are?'_ He cringes as he writes the word 'friends'; he knows who her companions are.

"They left without me. I think they were being attacked; I don't blame them. They have to keep Aang out of Fire Nation hands."

 _'You have no safe house meet up point in case any of you get lost?'_

Katara sadly shakes her head. "No. We never thought we would be separated for long."

The stupidity of these kids he had been chasing around the world is unimaginable. How he was never able to catch and keep hold of the Avatar eludes him.

Zuko looks down through his mask's eye holes. He doesn't write any more, not knowing what to say.

There is a frown on the waterbender's face, and to Zuko it seems like she is thinking of what to say next.

"I know you don't want me, but I want to travel with you. You seem honorable; I think I can trust you."

Honorable, the word strikes a chord inside of Zuko. No one has ever called him that besides his Uncle.

He has paused for too long, giving Katara the wrong answer.

Katara speaks again. "If it's not okay, I-I can go."

Her body is standing straight; her blue eyes looking directly at him, directly at his mask. For the first time Zuko really sees her. Her hair is limp and dirty; her brown curls hang in matted clumps of dirt around her shoulders falling to her waist. He hasn't registered the fact until this moment, but her dress is stained with his blood and is ripped at the ends. Her brown skin is sunken, showing signs of prominent cheekbones as she loses weight from not eating full meals.

It is her eyes that make him change his mind about casting off the girl, the waterbender, Katara. Her vibrant blue eyes are shattered, not full of life as they once were. Zuko knows that Katara knows her fate if she travels alone in the woods.

He picks up his fallen writing stick. _'You can stay.'_

All Zuko remembers is his heart rate quickening as she envelops him in a hug, tears gleaming in her eyes as a silent thank you.

She lets go when all of her tears are gone. He is stiff, caught off guard by the sudden contact, which felt… nice, comforting even.

She wipes her face with the back of her hands; the dirt caked on her hands smears onto her cheeks. "You must think I'm pathetic."

He shakes his head no.

"I'm sorry for crying, it's just- what happened to your hand!?"

The waterbender suddenly grabs his ungloved hand before Zuko has chance to retract it and cover it. Her blue eyes go wide as she lightly glides her fingers over the open cuts on his swelling knuckles.

"That must hurt." She whispers. "Here, let me fix that."

Without realizing what she is doing, she bends water out of his soaked shirt, forming a sphere in her hand. His palm is flat against hers. She takes her other hand and places the water over his cuts and the bruises that are starting to form.

The water glows a bright, brilliant blue as the swelling and cuts slowly fade, and the blood washes away.

"There you go."

He quickly retracts his hand, and shoves it into the glove he had been holding in his other hand.

"How did you survive so long without me?" She gives him a small smile.

Zuko doesn't answer her back, but grunts in response.

"Excuse me for trying to start a conversation." She grabs the bed roll she had been cleaning up before.

He blinks before he realizes he has been staring, and that Katara has been eyeing him warily.

Mentally, Zuko thanks her for healing him, but to the knowledge of the waterbender, all he does is turn and walks back towards the fire, not showing an ounce of gratitude.

* * *

 **Some Zuko POV filler. Next chapter will be more exciting, and I am thinking of having chapter 5 be the unmasking of Zuko.**

 **I had finals this week, and I didn't fail:) I actually did pretty well on all of them except for Math, but aparently alot of people failed that one so I feel good that at least I didn't fail.**

 **My Birthday was yesterday, I'm 16 now!**

 **Please Review/Favorite/Follow:)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don not own ATLA.**

 **Thanks to** The Congressman **,** WaterPrincess17 **,** Lunachan90 **, and** Guest **for reviewing:)**

 **Thanks to all who Favorited/Followed:)**

* * *

"We have them now," says a strange voice that is dangerously close to Katara's ear. "What do we do with th-"

Before the stranger can finish his sentence, Katara's hand blindly juts out, groping for water to bend the person away with. There is water in grass, and with a flick of her hand, she sends the tiny amount onto the person's face hoping to startle him, or at least get him away from her. It is quite for second, sensing a tug on her outstretched hand, Katara rakes her fingernails across the man's skin. His howl has her up out of her sleeping roll, her hands positioned with water she has blindly bended from the grass.

Though it is past midnight, Katara can see fine. It helps when the strangers are Fire Nation soldiers who are also firebenders.

It takes a minute for Katara to gain her bearings. It is two against four. When she finishes scanning their campsite, she corrects her internal statement, it is one againts three. The Blue Spirit, a light sleeper, is already in combat with one of the soldiers, swords against fire. The other soldiers, not representing the brightest the Fire Nation has to offer, were wondering what to do with the Blue Spirit's female companion.

More like, who would have the honor to be able to compromise her first, Katara thinks with a shudder.

Katara shoots an ice spear at the soldier who had woke her up. It pierces his upper thigh, sending him spiraling to the ground with a pained scream, alerting his comrades that Katara is not helpless.

She jumps as a jet of fire is sent towards her feet, trying to disrupt her base. She spreads her hands, lifting all the surrounding water into the air. She takes water from the blades of grass, from sweat on the men, and the water from her bending pouch lying in the ground.

If she looked down, the grass is brown and shriveled, but she doesn't. Katara keeps her focus on the men in front of her.

Katara's eyes widen in a moment of shock, watching the water form a tight shield in front of her. Though her eyes and mouth are wide open, Katara doesn't have the luxury of time to wonder how she was able to extract all of the water from her surroundings.

She sends ice shards in multiple directions, keeping her attackers at bay.

With a momentary glance, Katara notices that the Blue Spirit has won his fight by discarding his swords and punching the soldier in the face, watching him crumple to the ground.

He starts attacking the soldiers Katara tries to hold off. The soldiers pick sides; one attacks the Blue Spirit while the last two start to attack Katara, thinking she is the more dangerous one out of the two of them.

Katara feels more overwhelmed as the two soldiers focus their bending with the sole purpose of bring her down. Her water hisses and steams as it comes in contact with their fire. Katara is on the defence this time, slowly stepping back over her sleeping mat as she loses ground.

Her already tattered dress is scorched in all different areas. Beads of sweat collect on her brow as she defends herself against the one Fire Nation soldier. The other went to help his companion fight the Blue Spirit.

Katara's energy is drained. It takes all her strength to complete a simple bending form of a water whip.

Katara is too drained to prevent what is about to happen next.

Katara is too late.

Her eyes widen in realization of what is about to unfold before her.

A searing heat punches into her stomach; a blinding flash of pain follows. Her vision blurs as she collapses onto her knees. The ground comes up fast as she feels her head falling towards it. Her hair that has escaped her braid, swings in front of her view.

Her cheek hits the soft dirt of the ground; she coughs as dirt collects in her throat. Her cough brings up blood; blood that she lets dribble off of her lip, letting it pool on the ground next to her. She cant stop coughing; she can't stop screaming in pain. She doesn't know what happened.

Her head bumps up and down from the pounding of boots. From her fuzzy viewpoint on the ground, she can see the Fire Nation's red pointed shoes. She can not see the Blue Spirit's boots or his figure.

Her back heats up as a fireball comes dangerously close to charing her clothes and to an extent, burn her skin off of her exposed back.

Her nose receives a whiff of smoke, of burnt flesh. All she can smell around her is burnt flesh, her own flesh.

A screaming flash of pain makes its way into her mind after a slight reprieve. A gurgled cry, mixed with blood, escapes from her mouth.

Katara's name is cried out from the Blue Spirit as she finally closes her eyes, blacking out.

* * *

Katara's head swims as she tries to open her eyes. Her only reward is a black fuzz of darkness, and the moon giving her little to no light to see with. Her head turns to the side, not expecting a wave of water to slosh up her nose. Katara opens her mouth to take in a breath of air only to end up sputtering out the water that collects behind her teeth. By this time, she realizes she is floating in a stream big enough to be called a river. Her hair flows behind her, and her clothes are soaked, weighing her down in the river, but not enough for her back to touch the rocky bottom.

Katara can feel a hand under her, resting on her back and one clenching her shoulder, keeping her steady in the water, making sure she doesn't float down stream as the current is strong, strong enough to take her away. She groans as she tries to roll out of the water. The hand tightens its hold on her shoulder, keeping her body, her stomach, submerged in the water of the river. Her head is well clear of the surface, though it is still being splashed by water when ever she tries to roll over, unable to get out of her captor's hold.

Her vision is still shrouded in darkness, only just realizing she has closed her eyes again because a wave of fatigue has washed over her like the river water.

When Katara reopens her eyes, a mask comes into her line of vision. The Blue Spirit. She smiles but is confused as to why he is holding her down.

"You silly goose, what are you doing? Are we playing a game? If we are, you'll lose; I'm surrounded by my element." Her mind is delayed, allowing for whatever she says to come out unfiltered. Katara licks her already dry lips and tries to sit up again only to have the Blue Spirit push her back down with more force. She lets out a giggle, thinking this is part of the game.

"You have to heal yourself." The blue mask spoke.

Katara laughs. "You speak! I thought you were mute. Hehe."

Nails dig into her shoulder as the Blue Spirit loses patience. "Katara, you have to heal yourself, now!"

With the urgency in his voice, Katara traces his line of vision. The cloth around her stomach is burnt, scorched ends are curling and flaking off into the water, washing away with the current. She lifts her head up. Her stomach is charred; no, burnt to a crisp. Most of her flesh is missing, making her wonder if she will be able to see the inside contents of her stomach. Some of her brown skin has turned a deep red from the blood covering every ounce of exposed, unscarred, skin. She can feel light burns on her hands, stinging when she opens and closes her fists. She must have tried to block the fire with her hands.

Blood, from her stomach, trickles into the water, flowing with the current.

Still in her delusion, her mind is slow to catch up. "That must hurt."

Katara lays her hands over the ruined flesh of her stomach, not comprehending the pain she should be feeling. Everything is numb, even her hearing is muffled, and her eyesight is blurring in and out like she is under murky water.

She draws water from the surrounding river, coating her hands in the clear liquid, deciding to heal them first, only moving onto her stomach when her hands turn to their usual brown color and not the blistering pink. Katara moves her hands up and down the injured area of her stomach, allowing the water to hover over the severe parts of her injury. As Katara concentrates on healing, her mind regains clarity. She knows which parts of her injury to heal first, and where and how to stop the blood flow with minimal damage.

The water glows blue with each pass as it heals her skin to a raw pink.

She sighs and lets the water flow back into the river, not noticing how it is easier than it was before to heal. The tension in the Blue Spirit leaves his body as he sees her wound close.

Katara closes her eyes and allows herself to be picked up out of the water. She snuggles against his chest, basking in his radiating body heat that absorbs the coldness she is feeling from her wet clothes and night time air.

"You spoke. I know you..." Katara loses the rest of her sentence to sleep. As she curls into a ball on her sleeping mat, she dreams of golden eyes, one surrounded by a scar.

* * *

 **Think of these first four chapters as like a giant** **prologue, which probably could have been condensed into two chapters** **. The next chapter is where the story will really start. I just needed to get to the part where I can finally unmask Zuko. And chapter 6 is where the main story line will start to come into play; I promise that.**

 **I've been hinting at the main part of what the story will revolve around. Any guesses?**

 **Sorry for the short chapter.**

 **I am so proud of America right now! They legalized same sex mariage in every state:)**

 **Please Review/Follow/Favorite:)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

 **Thanks to Samhain. Necropolis, The Congressman, WaterPrincess17, totallyuncreativelyinsane, Lunachan90, and LovinZuko for reviewing:)**

 **Thanks to all who Favorited/Followed:)**

* * *

Katara wakes up from a dream where fire licked her face. She sits upright, her hand immediately going to her stomach, picking at the charred chunks of her dress. Her fingers brush over the smooth skin of her stomach as she recalls the events of the day before.

The memory of her unusual bending plainly sticks out in her mind, but she quickly brushes it aside as an even more important recollection comes into focus.

Katara remembers the one thing that was important about the whole impromptu attack.

He spoke.

The Blue Spirit has a voice.

She spots him tending the fire, his mask still on. Her stomach sinks like she expected him to be caught with out his mask on his face.

The shuffling of her blanket, along with her sigh, alert the Blue Spirit that she is awake. He steps away from the fire and walks toward her.

Before Katara loses the thought, she blurts out what has been on her mind since she woke. "I know you can speak."

He stops mid step, his whole body going visibly rigid. He doesn't move closer to her, but he also doesn't back away.

Katara takes that as an invitation to walk over to him. When she reaches him, she notices that the top of her head comes up to the mask's eye holes thus causing Katara to slightly tilt her head upwards in order to look at him properly. She also notices that heat is coming off of him in waves as if he is anxious about something.

"Are you going to speak? It's no use pretending to be mute anymore."

"How are you feeling?" His voice is deeper than she expects. It tickles a memory, but she hasn't heard enough of his voice yet for it to remind her where she has heard or seen him before.

It takes a heartbeat for Katara to respond, her hand still flat on her stomach. "I've been better. I'm still a little woozy from the healing yesterday."

"Two days ago," he mumbles.

"Hmmm?"

"You've been out for two days. I was scared you weren't going to wake up," he says a little bit louder, but still quiet enough so his voice doesn't jog her memory. "Here. I found some fruit while you were sleeping."

The Blue Spirit holds out an apple to her, but to her it looks like a peace offering. Katara takes the fruit, biting into it and blushes as juice dribbles down her chin as she rushes to wipe it off.

"Where did you find this?"

He shrugs, the blue mask mockingly grinning at her. For the first time, the smile bothers her. Maybe because the mask knows who it is hiding, and she does not.

"Take off your mask."

If it is even possible, the Blue Spirit stiffens even more as he takes a cautious step back. "No."

There! Katara knows she has heard his voice before. Somewhere when she and the gaang were traveling, they have come across this man.

"Please?"

"We've been traveling together for a little more than a week, and not once have you asked me directly to take off the mask. But now that you can hear my voice, you demand me to take it off?"

"We've been traveling for a little more than a week, and I would like to know who I have been in the company of."

"No. You're curious now; you feel like you already know me."

"So then you admit that we have met before?"

"I- I- Yes, we have met before."

"But you won't tell me who you are?"

"You won't like the answer."

"Can I decide that for myself?"

The Blue Spirit's shoulders slump. When he doesn't take a step back as Katara walks right up to him; she takes that as an invitation that he is defeated.

Her hands move up to his blue and white mask. He flinches but doesn't move away.

Her fingers cup around the edge of his mask as he unties the ribbon holding it up to his face. The black ribbon drops to the side as Katara gently lifts the mask off of his face.

She stares at the mask in her hand, the eye holes no longer looking dark, the smile no longer menacing. Katara lets the mask fall from her hands to the ground as she brings her eyes up to see her company's face.

Her breath is locked in her chest. His eyes are closed, his body is tensed as if waiting for a blow to the face that he is sure will soon follow.

His face is taut, and his cheeks are starting to hollow from not eating full meals. The ponytail is gone, and in its place stands short, jagged black hair covering his head.

But those mismatched features clear up any confusion she may have had. One side of his face is perfectly sculpted; eyelashes shadow his cheekbones like spider legs. An eyebrow arches over his closed lid which she knows if he opens his eye, a golden orb will be staring back.

On the other side of his face is a red, glaring scar surrounding his left eye. It stands out against his pale complexion, drawing eyes to the imperfection immediately.

He tentatively opens his eyes.

"Zuko." She is not sure why she doesn't lace as much disdain into her voice as she expected she would.

He stays quiet, his golden eyes still trained on hers.

"You were the Blue Spirit this whole time?"

He nods his head slowly, only breaking eye contact to blink.

"And you knew who I was too! Was this your plan? Were you hoping that I would lead you straight to Aang?"

"No!" His golden eyes go wide. "I mean yes, I still want to capture the Avatar, but I-I... Ugg." He pinches the bridge of his nose as he tries to think of things to say that will not get him killed by a very pissed off waterbender.

Water from the boiling pot by the fire slowly laces its way around Katara's hand and arm, not quite ready to attack. "His name is Aang."

"What?"

"The Avatar. He has a name."

Zuko gulps. "Right. But uhhh... I never once thought about a plan to capture the Ava- uh Aang. I was just worried about trying not to die."

"Why should I believe you?" Her water becomes a jagged ice shard, but she doesn't notice how it starts to crack down the center.

He straightens. His voice is steady with confidence again. "The Fire Nation is after me as well as you. Why would I kill men of my own nation if I was still working with them?"

Katara eyes him warily, thinking. "I have seen your true wanted poster. Not the Blue Spirit's, your real one."

"They forgot to paint my good side," Zuko mutters darkly.

Something dawns on her. If the Blue Spirit is Zuko then someone is missing. "Where's the old man that travels with you?" Katara eyes the surrounding forest half expecting the old man to jump out yelling 'surprise'.

Zuko slumps his shoulders forward. "I-I don't know."

She tightens her hand on her ice shard. Katara can't tell if he is being truthful or not.

"I did save your life," he adds after a moment of silence. "Multiple times."

"And I saved yours. Now I wish I didn't."

"You don't mean that."

Katara's mouth is set in a thin line. Rage builds slowly inside of her. "How would you know?"

"That's not who you are."

"You have no clue who I am!" Her ice shard shatters, leaving chunks of ice melting on the ground. "You've been hunting us- me -for the last couple of months. You don't know anything about me. All you care about is Aang and your stupid honor!"

She notices Zuko flinching at her words; a sly smirk slowly appears on her face.

"I know that's your mother's necklace." Zuko points to the pendant on her neck.

Her hand instinctively goes to the moon stone. "You only know that because you captured me and tied me to a tree!"

"Don't remind me."

"And you Zuko," she pokes him in the chest, making him back up. "You should have told me who you were to begin with, so I wouldn't have had to travel with you for a week."

"And spending a week with me disgusts you?"

"No, maybe alittle. But I don't like being in close quarters with my enemy for so long."

"You think it was perfect for me? I had to spend hours on end listening to you talk, and not once could I tell you to shut up!"

"Maybe if you told me to shut up we wouldn't be in this mess right now."

"I didn't want you to come with me in the first place. This is all your fault!"

"My fault!? You were bleeding to death, and I helped you."

"Helped me? You've only made my life harder."

"Oh, so you wanted to die? Is that it?"

"I wouldn't have gotten hurt if I wasn't busy protecting you!"

"Protecting me? It was you against who knows how many Fire Nation soldiers; I came just in time before you would've gotten skewered."

"I was doing fine before you showed up," _and ruined things_ , he mumbles.

"Fine at dodging."

"I can't believe you right now. Yo-You-You're so-"

"So what Zuko? Please finish your sentence and indulge me."

Zuko holds up his hand, counting the adjectives on his fingers. "Annoying, frustrating, bratty..."

"I'm bratty? You're the spoiled brat who lived in a palace all his life and doesn't appreciate what he's got."

"Well then maybe you should leave." He crosses his hands over his chest; his golden eyes not wavering. Katara notices wisps of steam floating away from his clenched fists stuffed under his arms.

"The only reason I'm not leaving right now and freezing you to a tree is because I am taking you prisoner." Katara's ice shard reforms in her hand as she presses it up against his throat.

Zuko's leg kicks her feet out from under her, sending her tumbling to the ground. His hands grab her wrists, bringing her arms above her head. The heat from her hands makes his grip on her uncomfortable. Katara's back is flat against the ground, and he leans over her.

"Don't you ever do that again. If anything, you are my prisoner."

She laughs. "Is this how princes are supposed to act. Apparently all stories are just _fiction_. You know Prince Zuko, this is no way to restore your honor, treating a lady like this. I-"

He slams his hand over her mouth. She bites his hand hard, drawing blood, but he doesn't pull back; he doesn't even make a sound.

There are voices in the surrounding woods around them. Katara stays silent tasting his blood in her mouth. She watches his golden eyes flicker back and forth, waiting and watching. Only when the voices recede does he take her hand away from her mouth, rubbing her saliva and blood off on his trousers.

"Face it peasant. You will die out here without me."

She slaps her hand across his face, remembering it is free as he had rubbed his hand on his trousers, and forgot to hold down her hand again. His golden eyes widen; his mouth falls open slightly. He looks down at her with a disbelieving expression.

"Get off of me," Katara says in a deadly tone.

He complies, fearing her wrath. "The only way we'll survive is if we work together."

"I won't heal you again, if you get hurt."

"I wouldn't expect you too. I'll protect you though, as a story prince is supposed to," he says, throwing Katara's words back at her. "When Aang comes for you, you can knock me out, so I don't capture him. But I will safely get you to him."

Her blue eyes are steel. "A truce then."

"A truce."

* * *

 **This was by far my favorite chapter to write. I love writing their arguments, which is probably why the next chapters will be easier to write. So now that Zuko is unmasked, the story can start moving foward:)**

 **Please Review/Follow/Favorite:)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA.**

 **Thanks to The Congressman, WaterPrincess17, iRanNoodle, Lunachan90, totallyuncreativelyinsane, Samhain. Necropolis, airichan623, the Moon our Witness, Ravynne Queen, and Guest for reviewing:)**

 **Thanks to all who Favorited/Followed:)**

* * *

She walks into her family's igloo, smiling to herself as her boots crunch on the familiar snow. She can see her breath in the air as she allows herself to be warmed up by the fire in the center of her house.

The fire flares brighter as a new person enters the igloo after her. An ungloved, pale skinned, hand is placed on her shoulder, causing her to look up.

His face is unscarred, and he is wearing formal Fire Nation robes. She scrunches her brow in confusion; he wasn't supposed to be here.

"What do you want from me?" He asks her, bringing himself down to her level.

"You're not supposed to be here." He would have been very beautiful, she thinks, reaching out to touch his smooth skin.

He cocks his head. "But you wanted me here."

"You're not even dressed for winter. Do you ever think things through?"

"No," he says with a big gleeful smile.

She smiles despite herself. "Why are you here?"

"I'm supposed to help you."

"And who told you that?"

"The moon did."

"Yue did?"

Across from the roaring fire, a girl with stock white hair sits down. "Hello, Katara." She gives her a small, sad smile.

"Why?" Katara turns away from Zuko, letting him vanish into the backdrop.

Yue's lips part. "I can't tell you. But you should be seeing signs. There may have been some already."

"Why is Zuko supposed to help me? I can take care of myself." She balls her hands into a fist, gasping in surprise when she finds her hands ungloved.

Her nails are painted with a deep blue, and her brown curly hair falls to her shoulders while half is in a topknot. She is kneeling next to the water's edge, holding back a cry when the water turns a blood red, and Zuko's body floats in it.

She stands up only to notice she is back in her original clothes, back when she first found the Blue Spirit. Her hands are stained red, dry blood rests under her cracked fingernails, and she knows the blood on her hands belongs to Zuko.

"I killed him, didn't I?"

She turns to face Yue who is covering the body of Zuko with a white sheet.

"Yes."

"B-but ho-ow?" She stutters.

"You're a very powerful bender Katara, and your bending has been messed with. There is no way of telling what could happen."

"I-I killed him with my bending?" She stares into Yue's eyes trying to find a sense of solace, but she only sees pitch black.

"It strange you seem this distraught over him. I thought he was your enemy."

"But I killed him. No one, not even him, deserves to die like this. What did I do?"

"You lost control. He tried to help," she gestures to the sheet, "this is what he got."

Katara grabs onto Yue's wrists. "Please help me! I don't want to kill anyone."

"This is a dream."

"What?"

"You're dreaming. Now, wake!"

Katara's eyes shoot open to find a pair of golden eyes staring at her, a menacing scowl present on his features.

"What do you want?" She puts as much disdain in her voice as she can. Her heartbeat pumps in her chest as she tries to calm herself down from the dream.

"It's good to know you won't kill anyone."

"S-sorry. It was a strange dream." If Zuko sees her hands shaking, he doesn't say.

"I found a tunic and trousers for you," he says, shoving the clothing into her arms.

She takes the folded clothes from him, eyeing him warily.

Zuko rolls his eyes. "I just thought you would want something less revealing to wear than your bloody dress with a hole in the center."

Katara blushes, subconsciously covering her bare midriff that is uncovered when she stands up and the blanket falls away from her.

She doesn't say thank you; she will never say thank you to the Prince of the Fire Nation. "Do I even want to know where you got these?" She says, holding up the tunic that is too big for her small frame for him to see. The hem of the tunic reaches her upper thighs. Katara doesn't even want to know how big the trousers are.

The articles of clothing are suddenly ripped out of her grasp. "Well if you don't want them, I guess you can go parading around towns with your current clothes. I wouldn't pass any brothels; they may ask if you're working there."

"What a creative imagination you have. Is that all you think about?"

"No. Actually, I th-"

"Whoops, silly me." She plasters a fake smile to her face. "I forgot that you think about your lost honor."

"Take the damn clothes." He throws them back at her before turning around. "Don't wander too far."

She makes sure she is hidden behind a patch of trees before she unties the sash from her dress.

Her clothes fall to the floor in a heap, a dirty, bloody heap. She throws on the tunic first, sighing as it falls lower than she thought it would. Luckily the neck line only shows her collarbone and nothing below it.

Katara doesn't need to cuff the sleeves since they fall just below her elbows. Her eyes stare at the hem. A split second later her nail are ripping into the fabric, with help from bended ice.

She tears the extra fabric away until the new, jagged hem falls to her undergarment line, below her belly button.

The trousers aren't much of a problem; these he must have stolen from a child or a teenager. At least, that is what she assumes. Zuko stole them off a poor woman's clothes line. He could have done a better job of finding her a shirt, though.

With her back rested against the tree, she lets out a shaky breath as her fingers work through the knots in her hair.

The dream took a lot more out of her than she lets on. Images of Zuko's dead body float through her mind, but he's alive. He's annoying her, but he's alive.

To get through the day, Katara pushes the dream to the back of her mind, hoping to forget about its contents.

Her old outfit is bundled up in her hands. She marches over to the fire, not caring or noticing Zuko's steady gaze as she passes him feeding the ostrich horse.

Her feet lead her right to the fire Zuko had set up earlier in the day. She dumps her Water Tribe clothes into the flames, watching the blue slowly fade away to a charcoal black.

"Why'd you do that?"

His voice startles Katara. Zuko had silently crept up behind her while she was watching her past burn away.

"What was I going to do with them anyways? They were ruined, and now I look more Earth Kingdom."

"No you don't." She can tell he is looking at her brown skin and cerulean eyes.

"I won't stand out too much in a crowd." She picks at her light brown tunic and faded green pants.

"It still looks to obvious."

"Says the man with golden eyes and a scar."

"At least I have a mask."

"Luckily for me, I am well liked and not in trouble with the local authorities. Plus, if I look like I am part of the Water Tribe than maybe my brother and Aang will catch wind of it."

"I thought we were going to find them together?"

"Haha. I never knew you were a comedian. No, _we_ are _traveling_ together; _I_ am trying to find them; _you_ are accompanying me."

He ignores her. "We should try to head to Ba Sing Se. We will probably meet less Fire Nation resistance that way instead of wandering around aimlessly in the woods near Fire Nation colonies."

She crosses her arms across her chest, the sleeves bunch up. "Are we going to walk all that way?"

"We have an ostrich horse," he deadpans.

"I know that." Katara rolls her eyes. "I meant what happens when the ostrich horse tiers to the point of no recovery, and we have no more money to buy another one."

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen."

"Really? Because it seems like you love to drive things into the ground without any rest. For instance, how you kept hunting us over and over again."

"That was out of necessity."

"Did you know that half the time we couldn't allow ourselves to go into port towns without being certain you would be there? Do you know how many days we went without food? But really it was all in vain because you seemed to be pretty good at finding us where ever we ventured."

"A ten ton flying bison is very easy to spot."

"I'm sure it is. To bad it doesn't seem to be anywhere near us."

"Maybe your friends are being smart for once and are staying hidden."

"No, they're out looking for me," she says with certainty.

"I think you're just upset that they abandoned you."

"They didn't ab-" She takes a breath and decides to ignore his statement. "Since his lordship seems sure he won't work the ostrich horse to death, where are we going to rest?"

Zuko's eye twitches at her mocking tone. "Don't worry. We'll pass villages along the way to rest."

"Good. Here I thought we would be living the rest of our days in the woods."

"Very funny, peasant. I can add mocking me to the list of your wondrous qualities."

"But it's so fun and easy to aggravate you."

"I'm going to leave you here," he says as he starts walking to his ostrich horse not looking back.

With a huff, she follows him.

Zuko gracefully swings himself onto the animal as it trots over to her.

"We don't have all day." His golden eyes stare down at her, waiting for her to get on.

In the Southern Water Tribe, there are no horse like beasts. An animal was there to be killed for its meat and fur. A tribesman did not ride the animals in the South.

Katara scowls at the ostrich horse as she tries to figure out how get on it. For most of Katara and her companion's travels, they have been walking in the woods, as it was too dense for an ostrich horse to properly carry two people.

Now they have decided to travel on the main road, in hopes of trying to get to a new province or town where there may or may not be as many Fire Nation soldiers.

It is safe to say Katara has never ridden on one of these animals and was hoping that the only animal she would ever have to ride on was Appa.

"Do you need help?"

Isn't he an impatient one, Katara thinks. "No. I can do this."

Katara pushes herself onto the saddle, trying to swing her leg over like she had seen Zuko do. It is harder than he had made it seem, and Katara is not that flexible. She scoots the rest of her way onto the saddle. Katara keeps her hands resting on her lap as she is not quite sure what to do with them.

"If you don't hold onto me, you will fall off."

Katara, with a sheepish expression on her face, gingerly wraps her arms around his stiff body. Her whole body is suddenly warm, warmer than it has been in the frigid temperatures of early spring. Katara is not sure if Zuko is warming her up, or if that is his normal body temperature.

As the ostrich horse unexpectedly lurches forward, Katara, not expecting the jolt, almost falls off of the saddle with a startled yelp.

"Hold on tighter if you need to," he growls out.

She quickly grabs a strong hold onto Zuko's tunic , pushing herself up against Zuko's body so there is barely an inch in between them. Katara doesn't care if blush is staining her cheeks; she would rather hold on to her enemy than fall.

The silence between the two is awkward. If Katara turns her head to look around at her surroundings, she is afraid she will fall off. Katara is content with staring forward, boring her eyes into the back of Zuko's neck.

Katara is about to clear her throat, not knowing if it will help strike up a conversation, when Zuko suddenly pulls the reins hard on the ostrich horse.

Her nose hits the his back as she is smashed up against him from the screeching halt.

Katara gingerly rubs her sore nose as she peers around Zuko's frame.

He stopped because two figures were blocking the road a couple yards in front of them.

"We have to find a new ro-"

Before Zuko can finish his sentence, Katara jumps off the animal, running to help the old traveler who is being pummeled by a Fire Nation soldier.

"What do you think you're doing?" She walks right up to the Fire Nation soldier, poking him in the chest.

The soldier's hand is clenched onto the shirt of the traveler. The old man's nose is bleeding, and the soldiers knuckles are raw.

"What are you doing here girly? Scram."

"You don't tell me to scram. Let this traveler go." Her hand hovers over her flask.

"I don't know who you are girl, but this man tried to swindle me. You better leave before you get hurt."

"Unhand the man now!"

She uncaps her flask, and nothing comes out of it. Before Katara can react, she is back handed into the dirt. She can taste the grit of dirt on her tongue; her cheek stings where the ring on the soldier's hand had cut into her.

The traveler breaks away from the soldier's hold, scrambling up the hill and into the woods, not glancing back.

Ungrateful old man, Katara bitterly thinks while watching him run away.

The soldier goes to kick her in the ribs before she is able to stand up, only to be stopped when an audible yell is heard.

"Get away from her!"

She and the soldier turn their heads. Zuko stands two feet away, his dao blades already out, gleaming in the sunlight.

"You want me."

Katara is close enough to hear the soldier mutter something about a traitorous prince. She sits up when the man moves away from her.

The soldier knows who Zuko is, and Zuko doesn't bother hiding his bending.

Katara watches in awe as he combines his swords with his bending. Fire dances on the metal, making the dao blades twice as deadly.

It's over in seconds; Katara only blinks twice. The soldier lies on the ground as blood trickles from a wound in his chest and fire flickers on his clothes.

"Is he dead?"

Golden eyes snap up to meet hers and do not answer.

"What the hell was that?!" Zuko asks her as he walks the ostrich horse to where she is now standing.

"That was me defending a helpless traveler."

"You almost got seriously hurt; the traveler didn't even thank you. Why didn't you freeze the soldier to a tree or something?"

"I wanted to stop him in a civil, non barbaric, manner," is her calm response.

"You don't know how much harder you just made our lives if you're going to try and talk to every Fire Nation soldier that will try to kill us." He swings his leg over the side of the ostrich horse as he mounts the animal.

He holds out an arm to her. "Come on."

She takes his hand, launching herself onto the saddle. Zuko doesn't turn his head around to make sure she is comfortable. He taps the ostrich horse on the side to move them forward.

 _'Why didn't you freeze the soldier to a tree or something?'_

Katara uncorks her bending flask. She glances up at Zuko's tight form that she has one arm wrapped around.

With a flick of her wrist, Katara gently bends a glob of water out. Only letting out a breath when she is able to weave the glob cleanly through her fingers with her bending.

"Is everything okay?" He asks after he hears her sigh.

"Everything is fine."

 _'But you should be seeing signs. There may have been some already.'_

 _'Why didn't you freeze the soldier to a tree or something?'_

Because, in that moment, she couldn't.

* * *

 **A cliche dream at the beginning, but I loved writing it:) I know Yue was OOC, but she's not going to be that important to the story.**

 **A word on Katara's bending: I know that Ty Lee can chi block people's bending, but I see that as a natural thing, something that does eventually wear off and does not harm the person in the long run. But when the metal chi blocking clamps are put on Katara in chapter 1, I see that as unnatural, as they were man made. I also noticed that when Ty Lee chi blocked Katara, the water still responded to her command, just not enough for her to lift it very high or do anything with it, but with the metal clamps, I wanted it so they took Katara's bending away completely, and her bending would stay gone until she took off the clamps. I feel like that would mess up a person's bending.**

 **Sorry for the long AN.**

 **Please Review/Favorite/Follow:)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA.**

 **Thanks to The Congressman, Ravynne Queen, JourneyRocks13, PB, and Guest for reviewing:)**

* * *

They're knee deep in mud, and the rain pours down around them, soaking them to the bone. Katara is not sure how this transpired. One minute they were traveling with a steady pace on the road; the next, the ostrich horse lurched to a stop, and Katara was almost flung out of the saddle.

Now mud slowly makes its way into her boots as she and Zuko try to push the ostrich horse out of the muddy road.

Her hair is plastered to her forehead, and some how, Katara has managed to smear mud onto her cheek in an attempt to brush some of her soggy curls away.

Zuko isn't faring any better; his frustration is only mounting.

Katara should be bending the water out of her clothes, but she needs all her strength to help the stuck animal.

When another attempt to get the ostrich horse free fails, Katara gives up and trudges over to Zuko, carefully picking her feet out the mud.

His golden eyes are smoldering. "There is water in the mud," he says this as if it is a new revelation; she has known since they have first gotten stuck. "Bend us out of this mess."

She gives him a pointed glare as his mouth curls into a sneer. Katara has been done with Zuko's attitude for a long time now.

"Please bend us out of this... peasant."

Katara plasters a sweet smile on her face. "You want me to bend the mud?" He nods as his eyes harden into their own deadly glare. "Of course I will. All you had to be was pleasant."

"Can you hurry it up?"

"Oh? Am I going to slow for your liking?" Her hands are clenched at her sides. Fury rages inside of her. She is sick of the rain, sick of the mud, and sick of spending her time with Zuko. "Maybe this will help."

She bends a wave of mud onto Zuko, letting it cover him head to foot. She gingerly steps out of the mud pit and onto high ground.

"Get out yourself, Your Majesty!"

She stomps away, smiling to herself when she hears Zuko's curses in the background. Who knew the Prince of the Fire Nation has such a colorful vocabulary.

Katara finds a relatively big cropping of rocks where she is able to find a decent size cave to make as their temporary campsite. She starts gathering firewood while slowly bending water away from her clothes and hair. The mud stays as residue; her shoes are now caked with dry mud that flakes off with every step.

She is hungry, dirty, and tried. But right now, Katara has to focus on finding firewood, and then drying the soaked sticks she manages to find in the dark.

A bright orange fire is already cracking into the night sky by the time Zuko comes storming in with the ostrich horse not far behind.

A wet sticky substance is plopped on her head and is rubbed into her scalp. Mud drips down her nose as she looks up at Zuko smirking. "You didn't."

He has wiped most of the mud off of his face, and the rain has taken care of his clothes, but his temper is still there. Katara knows he is not happy with her. "I did."

As mud continues to drip down from her hair, she bends water from the rain, smashing it into Zuko's face. The force causes him to fall down.

"I haven't had a good fight in months." He backflips into a fighting position. A burst of fire comes from his clenched fist.

Katara ducks, bringing another round of water with her. Making the water into ice spears, she flings them at Zuko.

He dodges and ducks each one. He starts to kick fireballs at her. Katara's heart hammers in her chest as one or two of them come close to burning her, but with quick footwork, they end up splattering harmlessly against the rocks.

"Is that all you got?" He taunts.

They're out from under the rocks now; the rain splashing down onto Katara energizes her. She flicks the water away from her eyes, forming the rain into disks and starts to pelt Zuko with them.

"Not even close," says Katara.

His feet are a blur in the night as jumps out of the way of the mini disks that keep coming. One disk hits its target causing him to stumble backwards. Zuko quickly makes a massive swirl of fire to melt all the disks coming near him.

Katara backs up at the wall of fire that has started to spread, She bends waves and waves of the rain to extinguish the fire.

A fire whip comes close to singing her hair as it hits the bark of the tree behind her.

There is fire whip in each hand. He brings them both up to strike only to be blocked by her water whips.

Steam is emitted into the air whenever the two elements collide.

Sweat, mixing with the rain, drips down onto her face as she concentrates. His fire whips are too much like her water whips. He is using a waterbending technique.

Katara doesn't know how he learned this, but he is trying to use her own style against her.

Then it happens, the water Katara is bending suddenly drops to the already soaked ground with a splash. She tries to lift from the ground again, but her hands are still empty. She stares at the ground in shock, at the puddle of water just sitting there.

Zuko pushes her up against a tree; a fire dagger protrudes from his hand, and he presses it up against her neck.

"Apologize."

"To the ostrich horse? I will gladly do that."

"Apologize to me."

"Why? Because I dumped mud on you? You had it coming."

"Arggg." He pushes away from her, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"We should get inside the cave," Katara says, rubbing her arms, trying to get the numbness out of them.

The frustration and energy leaves their bodies.

When his back is turned, not looking at her, she bends the water on the ground. At least it is not permanent she thinks as she holds a sphere of water in her right hand.

Zuko follows her to where she has set up camp. He sits down by the fire's edge, taking one boot off at a time. He pours the water and mud out, but grumbles anyways knowing they're ruined.

"I can help dry your clothes," she says tentatively, kneeling next to Zuko.

"I can take care of it myself, peasant!" Zuko snaps at her, causing Katara to recoil faster than she thought possible.

Katara's anger swells again. "Oh? Is that so. What are you now? I don't see a crown or royal guards. I don't think you're wearing silk. Face it Zuko, you're a peasant too."

"I wasn't born in an igloo."

"Well I'm sorry we all couldn't live in a palace surrounded by codeling servants. Why are you out here with us lowly peasants? Did daddy get sick of your attitude? Were your snobbish ways even to much for him?"

"You know nothing of my father!" His golden eyes blaze with fury as he comes face to face with her.

"Did your mother wave good bye to you, wiping tears away with her silk handkerchief? Did your mother wish you luck, hoping you would regain your honor?"

"Don't you ever talk about my mother!"

"Oh I'm sorry. Did she forget to give you a kiss on the cheek when you left?"

"I would shut up right now waterbender." Zuko roughly grabs her shoulders, but Katara doesn't stop.

"Have I hurt your male pride? Your hand is steaming, better put that away before you give yourself another scar. Isn't that how you got your current one, from your carelessness?"

"You're even stupider than your brother." He lets go of her.

"How? Tell me where I have guessed wrong in your perfect little life."

"Where do you want me to start?"

"Hold up. I actually got something wrong? Please indulge me where I have gone askew."

"Lets start with when I left. I was thirteen. I haven't seen my homeland in three years." Zuko isn't looking at her anymore. His glare is directed at the fire.

"To bad. You were probably too busy chasing us. Though it doesn't explain why you didn't go home after the North Pole. Why are you still here?" Katara asks, generally interested, but still blinded by fury that she doesn't know when to stop pushing.

"I can't go home," he says quietly.

"You mean you don't want to. Which is perfectly understandable, I wouldn't want to live in the Fire Nation either. I-"

Zuko is facing her know. "No, you don't understand. If I step one foot on Fire Nation soil, I will be put in prison."

"Wow. You did make daddy angry. What did you do, talk out of turn during a meeting or something." Katara chuckles, knowing her suggestion is ridiculous.

He probably stole something, she thinks. He is pretty good at thievery.

Zuko doesn't laugh with her. He stays silent; his hands are clenched into fists, turning his knuckles white.

"I did," he finally says.

"What?" Katara is caught off guard by him answering.

"I got my father angry by talking out of turn in a war meeting."

"Oh. Wait, but how did you get banished for three years just by speaking out?"

"It's what transpired after that got me banished. I was a coward." Zuko turns away from her. The light of the fire hitting his scar, making an eri shadow across the side of his face.

A few pieces click together in her head. She can't take her eyes off of his scar. His father gave him that scar, she thinks. The Fire Lord marred his own son.

"Zuko, I'm sorry. I didn't kno-"

"Just stop okay. It doesn't matter. That was a long time ago."

"Obviously it does matter if you can't talk about it. If you couldn't go home, why did you want Aang?"

"If I can't."

"What?"

"You said if I couldn't. I still can't."

She gives a sharp nod of understanding. "Why do you want Aang?"

"Because with him, I can go home."

"A twelve year old's life to see your homeland, for your honor?"

"And for father's love," he whispers.

"Wait, let me get this straight. You needed Aang so you could go home to your father. Your father who I am assuming is the one who scared you, correct?" Zuko nods; his eyes are focused on hers, the fire reflecting in his golden orbs. "Okay. So you think the man who gave you a permanent scar is going to love you again?"

"He i-"

"A parent doesn't just start loving a child again. He never wanted you to succeed. You should just give up trying to get the Aang because he will never allow you home."

"How do you know that?"

"Because if he cared about you, he would've have let you come home with or without the Avatar. La, if he cared about you at all, you wouldn't have a scar on your face. When a parent loves their child, they don't care if they failed or not. Tell me, if your father can still possibly love you, why are you starving in the middle of the forest?"

When Katara looks into his eyes again, she sees them shattered. He rises, not looking at her.

I went to far, she thinks.

His mouth is set into a thin line. The rise and fall of his chest is the only thing that indicates that he is alive. He stands there, still as a statue. Katara wants to comfort him, but she doesn't know how to.

"Zuko, I'm reall-"

"You're wrong." His shattered glare hardens. He pivots on his feet, turns his back towards Katara, and walks away.

He comes back an hour later, still soaked to the bone. Katara believes the light of the fire plays tricks on her eyes because she sees tear tracks on Zuko's face, illuminated by the orange glow.

* * *

 **Sorry about the long wait. Hopefully this chapter makes up for it:) I've been so busy with AP summer work lately that I have had barely anytime to write, and no time at all to concentrate on this story. Updates might be every two weeks starting now but I will see what I can do.**

 **On another note, I wrote a story called Frostbitten for Zutara Week 2015,if you want to check it out.**

 **It is also on tumblr; my user is shatterinseconds.**

 **Happy Zutara Week!**

 **Please Review/Favorite/Follow:)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own atla.**

 **Thanks to JourneyRocks13, JazzStar2104, WaterPrincess17, The Congressman, and Ravynne Queene for reviewing:)**

 **Thanks to all who Favorited/followed:)**

 **The lullaby Katara sings in called Child of Moonlight.**

* * *

"Why can't we grab a room at the local inn," Katara says as she crosses her arms.

"This town is crawling with Fire Nation soldiers. It is obviously occupied."

"But you're still going to sneak in because you don't know when we'll come across another town."

Zuko nods his head as he rummages through his bag trying to find his Blue Spirit mask. Katara takes an inventory of their supplies while he dresses the part of his spirit. She bites her lips in frustration. There is not much inventory to sort through.

There are no bandages, no healing lotion, a gold piece, a few silver, and about ten copper pieces, and absolutely no dried food for them to ration anymore. When his back is turned, Katara grabs the pouch of money and places it in her bindings. She feels safer having control of the coins.

"We should uh.. acquire healing supplies when we go."

The blue mask drops out of his hands. "We?"

"I want to come with you."

"Absolutely not." Zuko reaches down to grab his mask only for his hands to scrape against the dirt.

Katara holds his mask by the ribbons. "This is a group effort. Either you let me help you or I stop you from going."

He makes a grab for his mask, but she steps out of his reach. "Why do we have to argue over every little thing?"

"Because we always have different opinions. Now let me go with you, or you will find yourself sleeping frozen to a tree for the night." She twirls his mask around her fingers waiting for his decision.

"Fine."

"That's what I thought." She tosses his mask to him, watching him catch it with one hand while shooting a glare at her.

"Take off your necklace," Zuko says suddenly, catching Katara off guard.

Katara's hand flies to her neck, to the pendant. "What?!"

"Your necklace is an easy identifier of who we are; plus the stone reflects light. It could give away our position."

"Where do you suppose I put it?"

"I... uh.. I could hold on to it for you."

"So you can have it while we go on this mission, but I can't?"

"You have no where safe to put it. I will give it back to you; I promise."

Katara won't take it off. She stands there, waiting for him to make a move. To her surprise, Zuko comes to stand behind her. His hands brush aside her hair, letting it fall over her shoulder.

His hands are surprisingly cool when she feels him touch her skin near the necklace clasp, maybe that is why she shivers. Zuko delicately unhooks the clasp, and brings the necklace around her as he goes to stand in front of her.

The scene feels all to familiar.

Zuko doesn't look at her, and she doesn't look at him. He wraps the blue ribbon around his wrist, and she notices, as she focuses on her necklace, that he does the movement with practiced ease.

Then she remembers he had her necklace for a month; she has always wondered what he did with it during that time frame.

He rolls down his sleeve, covering the pendant from view. Zuko looks up. "I promise. Nothing will happen to it." He shakes his right wrist.

At least Katara can keep track of it at all times.

A ribbon dangles in front of her view, cutting off the concentration she had on his wrist.

"For your hair."

Katara grabs the ribbon from him, not wanting to know where he got it. She combs her hair with her fingers before pulling it into a messy bun at the nape of her neck.

Lose strands of hair that the ribbon didn't catch fall into her face, but she decides to ignore them, focusing on tying a piece of dark cloth around her face so only her blue eyes are visible.

"You're ready," he says, tying the Blue Spirit mask to his head.

By the time they reach the town, it is well past the first hour of dusk. The moon is already up in the sky, and the stars are already shining bright in the night. The moon's glow stimulates Katara's senses, filling her with power as her waterbending already feels stronger just by the moon's presence.

Though the power courses through her veins, Katara can't help but feel worried at the thought of losing her waterbending. It happens at the randomness times, and Katara can't get a hold on it. Though, one thing she knows for certain, is that every time she loses her bending, she finds she has more power, more control over her bending than she did the previous day.

Zuko is crouched behind a bush, watching the town's people walk back and forth to their respective houses.

Katara crawls towards him, hoping that no one in the town has seen them, though it would be difficult since they are still on the edge of the town, and blend into the darkness.

He tilts his mask to look at her. She realizes he is giving her a glare, a glare that would be having a greater effect if he was maskless.

Katara can sense him grinding his teeth as he says his next words in a hushed tone. "If you can't be quiet, I will leave you behind."

Ever since the night in the cave, the one he won't speak to her about; no matter how many times she tries to apologize, she hasn't blown up at him, at his stupidity. Tonight she may have to break that streak.

"I'm not going anywhere. At least not without this." She places her hand on his wrist where he fastened her mother's necklace to.

Zuko rips his wrist out of her grip. "Fine. Follow me."

Following the path he seems to cut through the darkness, Katara mimics his movements while sticking her tongue out at him behind his back. His back stiffens as if he knows she is making fun of him, but otherwise he does not say anything.

Zuko stops at the first house they come across. There is a window above them, but they are close enough to the backside of the house that if anyone is looking out of it, that person won't be able to spot them.

He leans against the side of the house, his ear pressed against the wood. Katara tiptoes up to him, and speaks into his ear, or where she assumes his ear is in the dark.

"Are we sneaking into this ho-"

He slaps his glove over her mouth before she can finish speaking her thought. The dirt from his dark glove makes its way into Katara's mouth. She silently gags as she tries to get the grit off of her tongue and taste buds.

"Please," he whispers into her ear, "say that a little louder; they may not have heard you in the _Fire_ Nation."

Her glare is useless in the dark. It is hard to see his form, unless he passes under a torch that outlines his dark figure. The only thing visible to her in the shadows is his mask.

Katara's back is pressed up against his as he pushes both of them further into the shadows.

A middle aged woman comes out of the house; a child trots beside her. Katara places a hand on her bending flask, but the woman and child pass them without incident.

Katara lets out a sigh only for Zuko to muffle it with his hand, again. "Stop making sounds."

She mutters some incoherent curses against his glove.

They stay with their back to the wood, until they are sure the woman won't come back.

"This looks like the perfect house." Before Katara can comment about how this family has a child, he jumps, and using his feet as an extra push up the wall, he grabs onto the windowsill with his finger tips.

With upper body strength alone, and the fact that the window had been strategically left open, he swings himself up and over the lip into the room with no more than a light grunt.

He turns back towards the window and beckons for her to come, ignoring her shocked expression.

Katara continues to stare up at him until he gets the silent message to help her up. He lowers his arm, and Katara takes a running leap. Her fingers grasp onto his forearm, and Zuko uses most of his strength to drag her into the room.

She lands with a thud. Zuko puts a finger to the mask's lips, silencing any comments she might have for him.

"No one is home," he tells her so quietly that she has to strain her ears to hear him properly, "but still try to be quite."

When Katara regains her bearings, she notices that they have landed in what looks like to be the main and possibly only bedroom in the household. She assumes they are now in the attic and will have to venture down the stairs to find any supplies they need.

Zuko makes a stride for the chest by the end of the bed, but Katara stops him. She places a hand on his chest and stares straight into his mask.

"We're here for supplies, not for jewels."

"Katara we need money, or at least bartering items."

"No. We are taking things that can be easily restocked next market day."

He mumbles a response Katara is sure would have earned him a slap from an elder. She grabs onto his wrist and drags him down the stairs.

His feet are lighter on the boards than hers are. Zuko seems to miss every creak in the wood while Katara steps on everyone.

Even with her back to him, Katara can imagine Zuko cringing at every sound she makes.

With no one home, the lights are off and both of them stay clear of passing windows that line the street.

Zuko opens the sack he had been carrying on his back and starts grab every food item he can find. Katara rummages through the cabinets for medical supplies and is pleased with the result spread out before her.

The shelves are lined with many home remedies, but she spots herbs and salves she is quite familiar with.

And with her bending not stable, Katara figures there may be a time when she can't heal herself with water, and Zuko can patch his own body up without her help.

Guilt ways down her heart as she starts to take the best medicine, but she chants to herself that this family can remake or re buy whatever she or Zuko has stolen.

As her hands shake and the guilt finds a permanent place in her chest, she notices Zuko literally scooping items out of cabinets and into the sack. Katara scowls at this, but for this to work she has to force down her emotions.

Pretend you're Zuko, she tells herself with a shudder. Pretend you don't care about these people.

It works and soon she finds the small bag she brought ways heavily in her hands with only a few bottles left on the shelves.

As a second set of eyes for goods Zuko may have missed, Katara follows his path around the lower floor. Her eyes scan the open cabinets only to find he took the items she would have. Katara closes each cabinet door he left open.

Her lips turn down in a frown when she notices a wooden box lying open. She picks it up, marveling at the ornate carving of a rose in bloom. Her fingers slide over the sanded wood finally coming across a melted latch. Her blue eyes look inside the box to find that one copper piece had been left behind.

Katara places the box back on the shelf and glares at Zuko from the corner of her eyes.

Does he have any remorse when he steals?

He took money the family was probably saving for something. Zuko went too far, but Katara didn't know what to do about it. They would only end up fighting in which nothing would be solved.

The eye holes of his mask latch into her eyes as he catches her staring, and he motions for her to follow him upstairs. He leaves before he sees if Katara follows him.

Katara reaches into her bindings, pulling out their small pouch of money. It is not enough to pay for everything they've stolen; it probably won't even cover the money Zuko took behind her back, but it is the best Katara can do for them.

She places the pouch on the main table. Katara looks around for a scrap parchment for a possible apology letter, but she finds none.

Before anyone comes back home, she runs back up the stairs.

Zuko is already out of the window by the time she makes her way into the bedroom. She hops out of the window, but her foot slips on the sill as it had drizzled while they were pillaging.

Katara flails her arms, trying not to scream. She is not going to land on her feet. She covers her face with her arms, waiting for the impact.

Her heart leaps out of her chest, but it still does not surprise her when she finds herself looking into the Blue Spirit mask.

Zuko lets out an exasperated sigh as he sets her down on the ground.

"You're late. What were you doing?" he asks her once they are again back under the cover of the trees.

"Forgive my tardiness, Your Royal Highness." Katara mockingly bows. "I was tidying up their home from the pig sty state you left it in."

Katara doesn't tell him about the money. He will find out later, or, Katara thinks as they walk back to the campsite, not at all.

"Here," he says all of a sudden, stopping suddenly in front of her. Something dangles from his hand in the dark.

"What's this?" Katara holds out her hand under his. The object drops into her palm, and she realizes what it is.

"Your mother's necklace."

"Oh, right." Katara feels blush rise in her cheeks from her stupid comment.

"Why is it your _mother's_ necklace and not _your_ necklace?" He starts to walk again, not waiting for her answer.

"Does it matter?" Katara says as she jogs to catch up with him.

"I was curious."

"Don't be." She pushes past Zuko and runs back to the campsite, not wanting to answer anymore of his questions.

* * *

They squat by the fire the morning after their little adventure into town. She spreads out the supplies in front of her to see what they have manage to steal in the dark.

Katara sings to herself as she sorts the food Zuko picked up into categories of 'what they have to eat first before it spoils', and 'what will last until the next return of Sozin's Comet'.

 _You are my child of moonlight_

 _You call the spirits down._

 _There is a peace within my heart_

 _Whenever you're around_

 _The stars at night they all shine bright_

 _And darling so do you_

 _You are my child of moonlight and I'll always love you_

It's her mother's lullaby Katara realizes as it dawns on her what she is singing. She stops abruptly before the memories can come back in a torrent of emotions.

Zuko looks up from sharpening his swords. "Is something wrong?"

"Hmmm? No." Katara reaches for the pack and starts to put away the food.

"You know, you never told me why you're not with Aang." He's not looking at her, his gaze focused on his swords and testing their sharpness. He hisses and pulls back his thumb. He rubs the blood on his pants.

"No, I never did."

"Would you like to tell me? I told you quite a lot about _myself_. It is only fair to return the favor."

Katara sighs before she starts. "I had a fight with Aang's new earthbending teacher."

"New earthbending teacher?"

"Her name is Toph, but that's not important."

"Well it is pretty important to the story since I have no clue who you are talking about!"

"Hey! Who's telling the story here?" She yells back. "Anyways, it was obvious that she and I don't get along. Toph said somethings that I had to walk off in the forest. The next thing I know, I hear fire blasts and see Appa flying off into the distance. I was to far away and too deep into the woods for them to see me. But since they were being chased by Fire Nation, I'm happy they didn't try to find me and risk their lives."

"They're searching for you."

He sounds very certain of that fact, she thinks.

"It must be nice to have someone that cares about you."

Katara looks up from her task, startled. "What about that old ma-"

"My uncle."

"He cares about you."

"Yeah, I'm sure cares about me after I left him to fend for himself in the woods." Zuko stands up, placing his swords down by the fire. "I'm going to wash up."

He leaves Katara to think.

She stares at the crackling fire wondering that if he wants people to care about him, why he tries so hard to push them away.

* * *

Katara grunts as she bends over the boiling pot. The water is not obeying her commands.

"Stupid water." She thrusts her hands out in front of her. The water laps over the side of the pot, mirroring her angry command.

Katara lets out a sigh of contentment and starts to lazily swirl the water.

"Are you having trouble?"

She jumps, not expecting him as he was supposed to be down by the river. Katara turns around only to find herself face to face with a shirtless Zuko. His shirt is draped across his neck, and his skin glistens in the sun.

Katara fights back a blush because she will not think of the Fire Prince as attractive, even when his hair is mussed from his bath, even when he's shirtless, and especially when he isn't scowling, though he's not smiling either.

"No."

Zuko raises an eyebrow at her. "You're bending fine?"

Katara stiffens; her hands freeze by her side; her eyes go wide, and then she chides herself for looking too startled. "Yes. Why would I have any problems with my bending?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "It's just been an observation of mine; ever since-" Zuko sputters as he is splashed in the face with water.

"See," Katara says, putting on a cheeky smile, "my bending is perfectly okay. The light may have just been playing tricks on you."

Zuko glares at her as he rubs his face with his shirt. "You're impossible." He grabs his disgraded broadswords and wanders back into the woods, leaving her alone again.

When he fades into the distance, Katara sinks to her knees, unable to hold herself up any longer.

He's getting too observant; she doesn't want him to know something is wrong.

To calm herself down, she plays with the boiling water. She bends it back and forth between her palms; she freezes it and melts it.

As she watches the blue orb swish back and forth, her mind starts to drift to what she thinks Zuko is doing. Hopefully he will find something good for dinner tonight, like meat, something that's substantials and can go with the dried fruit they picked up from the house.

But out loud she says something different.

"There is nothing wrong with me," she tells herself. "My bending is okay; I don't have to worry. I don't have to worry."

* * *

 **Thoughts on this chapter? It was pretty long, but it wasn't my best. I think you will all like the next one though which includes a step in the right direction for future Zutara.**

 **Sorry for any mistakes, I had to do a quick edit.**

 **I have a question:**

 **When did you start watching atla, like how old were you?**

 **I actually just watched this wonderful series last summer so I was 15, and it has now taken over my life.**

 **Please Review/Follow/Favorite:)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own atla.**

 **Thanks to JazzStar2104, Guest, PB, Ravynne Queene, JourneyRocks13, and Guest for reviewing:)**

 **I changed the summary.**

* * *

"Katara, what happened to the money we had before?"

"The what?" Katara yawns from being awake to early in the morning.

This is what she had woken up to, Zuko standing over her sleeping mat, with his ever present scowl spreading across his face. This is who she has been traveling with, a firebender who thinks that when dawn comes everyone should be up. Even a waterbender who stays up late with the moon. Stupid firebender.

He goes to kneel by her mat as she sits up to get a proper look at him. "You know what I'm talking about."

"I'm afraid I don't. It's too early for this Zuko go back to sleep." She goes to turn over wanting to close her eyes, but a harsh tug on her blanket stops her.

"Katara, what happened to the money?"

"The money you stole or the money we originally had?"

"The one we originally had."

"Oh that one, I left it back at the house." She lets her secret slip as it is too early to come up with an excuse. Katara purses her lips at her slip up and mentally hits herself in the head. If one good thing is to come out of this, it's that she's awake now.

His eyes twitch; his hands clench into fists. "You what!?"

"They had a child Zuko. I couldn't leave them with nothing. Unlike you, I have a conscience."

Zuko pinches the bridge of his nose and lets out a sigh. "Great...This is just fantastic. Now we have less money than we started with."

Katara blinks as his words sink in. "What?"

"There wasn't much in the box, Katara. Less than what we had in the pouch; I know it was wrong of me to take it, but I had to." A small chuckle releases from his lips. "We are probably the best thing that has happened to them. They get robbed, but they still end up with more money than they started with."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"So how much money do we have left?" He still stole their money, Katara thinks, she shouldn't feel bad. But did she act to rationally back in the house?

"A silver and twelve copper pieces. At least you screwed up this time."

"I wouldn't say I screwed up..," but Katara did and there is no proper way to finish the sentence.

"You're right, you fucked up."

Her mouth falls open, but she sees light behind his eyes and realizes he's joking even though he is not smiling. Katara punches him in the shoulder anyways.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"To teach you to control your language. I did not 'fuck up'; I made a slight error that we can deal with. You still have the track record for the worst decisions 'mister I'll fight a waterbender in the snow.'"

Zuko still rubs his shoulder. "Hypocrite. Well I wasn't the one who stole from pirates."

"I was furthering my waterbending training so I could whoop your ass next time we met."

Zuko makes an outraged sound. "How come you get to swear but I can't?"

"Because I appropriately use these words unlike you. You stub your toe on a rock and you're cursing like a sailor."

"I was on a ship for three years. You pick up the language." Zuko thinks for a second and then quirks an eyebrow. "Am..am I rubbing off on you?" he says with a sly smirk.

"No.. I knew these words before I met you."

"Really?" he says in a disbelieving tone. "But did you use them before?"

"Not particularly, and definitely not in front of Aang."

"Then I rest my case, I am rubbing off on you."

For better or for worse Katara did not know, but she still allows herself to give him a goofy smile in return.

* * *

"Calm down Twinkle Toes! I'm sure we'll find her soon," Toph says while grinding her teeth together.

Honestly, both boys were being ridiculous. Even though she has only known Katara for a couple of days, Toph knows she can handle herself.

Toph's hand grips the side of Appa's saddle when the beast suddenly drops.

"Sorry," Aang says. "I thought I saw her."

Toph's blind and even she knows there is no way Aang could have spotted Katara from the height they are at.

"Is that her?" Sokka's voice rings in her ear.

"I don't know. Why don't you jump off of Appa and go check. Then maybe one of us would get some sleep around here."

If Sokka is glaring at her, she can't tell. "I'm sorry my concern for my baby sister is disrupting your sleep. If anything this is your fault."

Sokka's fingers poke her in the chest. "My fault!? I don't think so. If anything it is her fault for running off and not coming back before the Fire Nation attacked."

Toph has a feeling Sokka's face has paled as he mulls over her words.

"W-what if the reason why we can't find her is because the Fire Nation has already captured her? What if Zuko has her?" Toph senses his heart beat rising as he finishes his thought.

"Who's Zu-" but Toph lets the question die out when she realizes the boys aren't listening to her.

"Don't be ridiculous Sokka. We haven't seen Zuko since the North Pole; he probably went home... I hope." Toph's ears pick up the desperation in Aang's voice, and she frowns.

"Look," she says, not caring what direction she is speaking in, "we all know Katara can handle herself. If anything, she would want you Aang to start learning earthbending."

"Bu-"

"And in the mean time we can search the area for Katara. I'm sure wherever she is, she can handle herself."

* * *

Katara stares at him with her hands on her hips. He has been meditating for an hour, and it is starting to bother her. Not only has she been on her own for an hour, but she has had no one to talk to.

Not that Zuko is great company, but it is better than talking to herself. And, if she was honest with herself, she had fun with him this morning, just bantering back and forth. It was almost friendly, and it felt...natural.

Katara decides she is in the mood for a story, a story that she has never heard before. More specifically, a true story about the man she has been traveling with for awhile now.

Katara stand closer to him now, deciding it is time for him to stop mediating.

"You haven't told me anything about yourself." If her voice startles Zuko, he doesn't show.

He turns her head and, with his golden eyes narrowed, sends her a piercing glare. Katara's eyes glance at his scar, and her cheeks turn pink as she amends her statement.

"Well maybe you did, but I don't know the simple facts about you. For instance, when were you born?"

Zuko's hands clench onto his knees as he tries to continue to mediate, but ends up letting out a sigh when he feels the grass beside him shift as the waterbender sits down. He turns his head again to find blue eyes staring at him, waiting.

"I was born in the summer months of my tribe," she prompts

Zuko says nothing, his stare blank and unamused.

Katara scoots closer to him; their legs brush, causing him to stiffen and her to back up slightly.

"My brother was one year old, still wrapped up in my father's arms. The other women of my tribe helped my mother while my father tried to calm my screaming brother. My father said the minute he saw me, he knew I would do great things."

Her hands play with the jagged hem of her shirt, pulling at loose threads when she comes across them; her eyes cloud over with memories. Zuko's voice surprises Katara, breaking her hold on the past.

"I was lucky to have been born. I was born on the coldest winter day of that year, a bad omen apparently. I almost didn't survive the birth, and I almost took my mother with me. My heart was weak, but my mother pleaded with my father to give me a chance and to not cast me off. He refused to believe that I would be a firebender; no proper firebender could be born in winter. He was disgusted by how weak I was. He told me how embarrassing it would have been to have his first child be a non bender."

"But eventually you showed signs of being a firebender."

"Not until I was six or seven, I think. The Fire Sages told my father it was a miracle, that I must have been blessed by Agni himself. He didn't even care. He didn't teach me; that burden was thrusted upon my Uncle before he went to war."

Katara stays silent; she wants to hug him, to make him feel wanted as it seems for his whole life he was made not to believe that. But she stays sitting with her hands in her lap, knowing she can't do anything because Zuko won't accept it from her.

Zuko stands up, running a hand through his short hair. He picks up his dao blades he kept beside him while meditating and starts to practice, not caring if Katara watches.

"Is that why you know how to wielded a sword- swords?"

His dao blades slice through the air as he practices a combination of moves. Fire appears on the blades as he continues to furiously practice by swinging them through the air, wishing he had an opponent.

It takes a moment for him to responded.

"I started practicing a couple of weeks before they realized I was a firebender. I never gave it up. I practiced in secret if I had to."

Katara watches him in silent. She watches the curve of his body as he moves through his steps, the way his muscles bulge when he brings down his broadswords for what would be a final blow on the wind if it had a physical form.

Her eyes break contact and glance down to her wrists, thinking of those cold metal clamps. Thinking of the loss of her bending that has been happening more and more frequently, though she tells herself over and over again that she is fine.

"Will you teach me how to fight with them?"

He stops mid swing; his head turns to place a cold golden glare on her. "No."

"Why not? Is it because I'm a girl?" She stands up suddenly with her hands balled into a fist.

"What? No! I just don't want to teach you."

"Would you rather have me be a liability? You know something is wrong with my bending. So what will happen when I lose it in a fight that actually matters? I need a new way to protect myself."

"At least you admit it now." It is all he says, but Katara can tell that he agrees to her logic.

Zuko walks over to her and hesitantly gives her the blades with the hilts facing her and the sharp tips facing his body.

He folds his arms across his chest after Katara takes the blades. She tests the weight in her hands. They're heavier than expected, but she should remember this from the first time she met the Blue Spirit.

How does one fight with two swords? It seems like Katara would automatically use the right one more as that is her dominant hand.

She tries to recall the moves Zuko was practicing just minutes before.

She holds both swords out in front of her and looks up to find Zuko staring at her, but not giving her any hints on how to start.

He stands there, waiting for her to make the first move.

With a huff, she starts to swing both swords widely hoping she doesn't look like a lunatic from Zuko's viewpoint. Katara grunts as she tries to figure out how to use both simultaneously.

Zuko's eyes go wide, and he struggles to keep his face set in a neutral expression. Is he trying not to laugh?

"Stop before you kill yourself, or me."

She lowers the swords so the tips are pointing to the ground; her lips turn up in a snarl. But Zuko does something surprising, something that did not include ridiculing Katara.

He steps behind her, and his hands find hers on the hilts. Katara's own hands are small enough to be covered by his.

"Ready?" he says into her ear.

She is glad for once that she can not see Zuko's face since that means he won't be able to see her cheeks stained red. Katara nods in response, not trusting her voice to sound anything other than a squeak because of his very close contact.

"They're two halves of the same sword," he tells her while he lifts her arms into the proper position.

Zuko guides her through basic movements until Katara gets into the rhythm of block with one attack with the other, attack with both, and block with both. He teaches her basic movements to keep her alive if the situation ever arose.

Then when she feels like she can do it without his hands on her, he starts to add in a little flare. A little twirl of the blades that feels natural in her hands almost like she is-

"It's like waterbending," Zuko says suddenly. "Think of it like your water whips; they're an extension of your arms."

As soon as he says those words, something clicks inside Katara's head. She controls the blades' movements now. Zuko has to follow her lead. She thinks of her water wips, and the movements flow beneath her hands.

Soon Katara is guiding Zuko in a dance he didn't know he was a part of. She hears a small chuckle and realizes he is enjoying himself as much as she is.

He tries to trick her though, sometimes with a quick jerk of his hand or a step backwards. Each time she adjusts, and they just begin their dance with a new technique.

Then he says those words. "Katara, what happened to your mother?"

It's the one trick she can't overcome. Her feet miss a beat, and she stumbles back into him allowing the blades to clatter onto the ground.

She rips her hands out of his grasp and whirls around to face him with anger clouding her vision. How dare he ask her that!

But the red falls from her eyes when she sees his expression. There is no cruel remark behind his question, no snide comment waiting to protrude from his lips. Instead he looks curious and sad like he knows how she'll answer, knows exactly how she feels.

Katara allows herself to crumple to the ground and to not look at Zuko when he comes to kneel in front of her and tilts her head upwards.

"I'm sorry. It's something we have in common."

It's the look in his eyes when she realizes that he too knows the pain of losing a mother.

"How old were you?" he asks quietly.

"Eight, and you?"

"Ten."

Katara doesn't know why the tears don't threaten to fall. Maybe it's because she has cried too many times over this subject, or maybe it is because Zuko isn't crying and she doesn't want to seem weak.

"It was the Fire Nation, a raid."

He nods, and his shoulders sag a little more.

"H-how d-did she die?" Katara doesn't know if she should be asking him this, but she does; she's curious.

"I guess you could say it was the Fire Nation, but I'm not really sure what happened to her. She was there one day and gone the next."

"I'm sorry for what I said," She winces as she thinks about it. "in the cave that night."

"You didn't know. It was my fault for snapping at you when you were just being kind."

Zuko just apologized, and she smiles for a moment. "I think we should start over."

"Hi, I'm Zuko." He holds out a hand for her to shake.

"I'm Katara," and she realizes when she takes his hand that this is what she has been waiting for all along.

"I'll probably mess this up in a few days and then you'll hate me again, but I want you to have this for now."

Zuko reaches into his boot and hands her a pearl dagger still in its sheath. Katara slides the blade out carefully, slowly reading the inscription on the side.

"Made in the Earth Kingdom?" She raises an eyebrow.

"The other side."

"Never give up without a fight." Katara smiles as she reads the words.

"If I mess up again, I want you to remember this moment and try to fight for it back because I want us to stay like this. Plus you need something to defend yourself with. I can teach you how to properly use it tomorrow... if you'd like," he says hesitantly.

"That would be perfect."

He stands up to walk away.

"Zuko, are we friends now?"

He stops in mid step, his heal just starting to lift off of the ground. Zuko turns around and there is a different look in his golden eyes, a look Katara can not name. "I don't know what friendship feels like; I've never had a friend before. But I would like to be your friend."

Katara gives him a grin. "I'd like to be your friend too."

* * *

 **I want to thank The Congressman for giving me the idea of Zuko asking about Katara's mother. It was the ice breaker I was looking for.**

 **Did you like the little part with the rest of the gaang? I probably won't have many of those (I really want to focus on Zutara) but I thought that this was a good point in the story to show what they've been doing.**

 **And now the Zutara can start!**

 **Please Review/Favorite/Follow:)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA**

 **Thanks to Ravynne Queene, The Congressman, Zutarafan1992, JourneyRocks13, PB, and Guest for reviewing:)**

* * *

A tree branch slaps Katara in the back in annoyance from her forcefully pushing it out of the way. The jolt sends her stumbling forward, and she her back stings from the impact. Leaves are tangled in her hair which is a rats nest in itself as she had lost her hair ribbon many days ago.

Katara aggressively flings her hair behind her back as she plods on after Zuko, who is many yards in front of her from being too impatient to wait. The woods were barely manageable when they had the ostrich horse to carry them around everywhere, but now they were animalless and have to rely on their feet to take them through the woods.

And her feet were starting to ache; the blisters were forming blisters, but she had no time to heal her feet. Zuko wouldn't stand for unnecessary stops, and Katara didn't want to waste any of her water, which was solely for combat and drinking, on her sore feet.

Though Katara hated their new mode of transportation, she isn't mad at Zuko for making the decision. It was the right one. They ended up receiving a decent price for the beast, and they will get a new ostrich horse when they reach another town. Preferably a town without Fire Nation colonists.

"Can you pick up the pace?" Zuko says without turning around. He hops over a fallen tree and waits until she is closer before he starts to move again.

"You're walking to fast," Katara mumbles, finally reaching the fallen tree. Her muscles protest and groan as she stands up on the bark, slightly smiling to herself when Katara sees she is taller than Zuko for once.

"We wouldn't be having these problems if your legs weren't so small and strides so short." He has to tilt his head upwards to talk to her.

Katara jumps down with a soft thump. "If someone wasn't freakishly tall we also wouldn't be having a problem."

Zuko opens his mouth to retort but decides against it. "Just try to keep up."

"Of course, Your Highness. I will do whatever I can to please you."

"You better," he says, the corners of his mouth twitching up at the end. He turns around before she can comprehend the situation.

Katara stares at his retreating back, her face morphing into a dumbfounded expression. Did she just see a smile?

"Hurry up!"

Katara shakes her head and runs to chase after him. In split second, her sore feet decide for her. She launches herself onto Zuko's back, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist for support.

Zuko stumbles forward at the sudden weight but quickly catches himself before they both tumble to the ground.

"I saw you smile," she whispers into his ear. Katara isn't sure where her new found energy emerged from, but she has a feeling the different expression on her companion's face is the fuel.

"What are you talking about?" He tries to whack her back so she gets off; it doesn't work.

Katara tucks her hair that falls in front of her face behind her ear. "It's this thing where the corners of one's mouth decide to turn up when one is amused."

"I know what a smile is."

"Are you sure? Because you only scowl."

"Will you get off my back?"

"I saw you smile Zuko. You should do it more often."

His feet scrape against the dirt as he quickly comes to a stop. Katara rests her chin on his shoulder.

"Why?"

Such a simple question that Katara has millions of answers to. "For starters, you don't look like a jerk. You look younger, and not like the weight of the world rests on your shoulders. And a smile is adorable on you."

"Adorable!? I don't want to be in the same category as a turtle duck."

She never knew Zuko could get so flustered over one word, and well... it's adorable. Katara laughs out loud as Zuko grumbles in response.

"You also look cu-"

"If you say I'm cute, you're getting throttled off my back, and you can find your own way to Ba Sing Se."

Her lips form a pout, and her nose brushes across his shoulder. Katara's eyes widen and she quickly lifts her face off of his shoulder. "You stink."

"Yes, I know I'm no fun."

"No. I mean you _stink_. When was the last time you took a bath?"

"Hey! You don't smell like roses either."

Zuko starts to walk again, and her feet start to slide from their hold on his waste. She quickly readjusts. Zuko's hands fumble under her legs to find a good hold, making Katara realize she is not getting off of him any time soon, and he knows that.

"Do I smell that bad?" Katara brings her arm up to her nose, taking in a wiff. Her nose scrunches up in protest. "Okay, so maybe I do."

"When we get to an inn or river, which ever one we happen to stumble upon, you can bathe first."

"What a gentleman." Katara rolls her eyes at him.

They don't speak for many hours. By this time, Katara has hopped off of his back and has opted to walk beside him. Every so often Katara finds her eyes drifting to her companion. Zuko stares straight ahead, and she lets her eyes rake over his appearance without him knowing. His short hair has gotten longer since she has stumbled upon him. She has full view of his unscarred side, and, she thinks with amusement, he has a smudge of dirt on his cheek.

"Are trying to catch me smiling again? Because it won't happen."

Katara quickly diverts her gaze to the foliage. "We'll see about that."

"Is that a challenge waterbender?"

"What if it was?" She brings her gaze back around to him, determination set in her eyes.

"Than I'd say that you would lose."

"You're underestimating my skills."

"I think you're underestimating me."

She walks around him, eyeing her challenge. "I don't know Zuko. It seems very easy to get you in a good mood these days."

"You're delusional. But we'll see if you can manage it." Zuko's eyes pierce hers in a silent acceptance of their 'competition'. He breaks eye contact and says, "I think we should rest here."

Katara nods in agreement as she sits down first, and Zuko pulls out some dried fruit, handing it over to her. The fruit is small enough that many are able to be piled up in her palm. She brings her nose down to sniff the food, and Katara thinks it smells like apples but she cannot tell. She just prays it is not papayas as she pops one in her mouth. The fruit is hard to swallow without any water, but it feeds her growing hunger.

"Are you ever going to tell me about your bending?" Zuko picks at another piece of fruit before putting it in his mouth.

"I-I don't know where to start."

"It happened that night, right? When you fought those soldiers with me?"

She nods. "It was when they put the metal chi blockers on me. Ever since then my bending has been all out of sorts."

"Do you lose it for very long?"

"It comes and goes. But everytime it comes back, it feels stronger."

He taps his fingers on his chin, thinking. "I didn't think chi blockers were supposed to cause this as an after effect. Does it have to do with spirits; have you talked to any recently?"

Yue, she has spoken to Yue. Katara looks at Zuko from the corner of her eye, and a grin appears on her face. "The only spirit I've talked to is the Blue Spirit. But he didn't like answering back."

"Haha. Very funny. I'm serious."

"Yue spoke to me in a dream once. She's the moon spirit."

"Did she have anything interesting to say?"

Besides the warning that Katara may kill him? "No, nothing at all."

"Hmm. Maybe if you meditate, you can connect to a spirit."

Her blue eyes widen at the thought. But she shakes her head. "It won't work. I can't enter the Spirit World."

Zuko's golden eyes drift from her face to the trees behind her, lost in thought. "Well... maybe you can meditate near a river or in a river and at night. You might be able to connect to your Water Tribe gods or spirits that way without having to go into the spirit world."

Katara nods, that may work. "Is that why you meditate most mornings? To connect to your gods and spirits?"

"No, I do it to help find my center. It helps with my firebending training."

Katara purses her lips, and wipes her hands on her trousers. "So what you're saying is you're guessing on how to connect to spirits."

"It won't hurt to try."

She starts to tug at her hair in frustration, and laces a curl around her finger. "This is hopeless. Has anyone been to the spirit world or connected to a spirit besides Aang and his past lives?"

Zuko's eyes widen in sudden realization. "My uncle did once."

"Do you think he would be able to help us, well... help me?" Katara glances around their resting spot as if expecting his uncle to be there.

"If you were a firebender, I'd say yes. But I don't know if he knows enough about waterbenders to help."

"We should find him then. He could help me connect to Yue." Eagerness is back in Katara's voice. Now she can finally find someone to figure out what is wrong with his bending.

"There is just one problem; I don't know where he is." Zuko spreads his hands, helplessly.

"I guess we're in desperate need of a water source than." They haven't seen a river or lake in the past couple of days, and Katara is starting to miss her element.

"To bathe? Then yes." Zuko smirks at her and scrunches up his nose.

"Don't start that again." Katara pushes him off the log he has been resting on. But his foot hooks hers, and she tumbles after him.

She narrowly misses banging her forehead into Zuko's nose. His hands find her waist and gently stops her from fully plowing into him. When her hands find leverage to keep her body up right, one of Zuko's leaves her waist and plucks something out of her hair. He twirls a leaf between his fingers before he lets it fall to the ground.

"That was not a good idea Katara."

"You were the one who started it with the stink comment again." Her hair falls in front of her face; the curls land gently on Zuko's nose.

He tucks her hair behind her ear. "I never said you stank."

"You implied it." She shifts her weight as her arms start to go numb.

"You're knee is in my stomach," Zuko says with a grunt

Without her permission, a light blush takes over the coloring of her cheeks. She had forgotten about the position she is in. It isn't like she has been lost in his golden eyes or forgotten that his warm hand is cupping her waist.

"Sorry," she mumbles.

Zuko's lips part to say something but then close as Katara stretches out her hand to help him up. His hands brush off the dirt that had coated his clothes during the fall. Katara picks up the pack off of the ground and slings it over her shoulder. She throws him his sheathed dao blades.

"Don't worry," he says as he places a hand on her shoulder. "Will figure it all out. Just... just be careful from now on, Okay?" His thumb brushes a tear that had started to run down her cheek, cutting through the caked dirt on her skin. "Okay?"

"Okay." Her eyelids flutter closed.

"I think it's time we found a town to rest at. Does that sound good to you?"

She opens her eyes. "It will be a nice change of pace from rocks and dirt."

Zuko has to fight off a smile because he doesn't want to lose. "When we get to the town, call me Lee."

Katara readjusts the sack to her other shoulder. "I probably shouldn't go by Katara."

"But don't you want Aang to find you?" he says, confused.

"I don't want to endanger anyone or you. I'll be Ling."

"That's a good choice. Now lets find a town so you can bathe." She punches him in the shoulder as they start walking again.

* * *

The next log they have to climb over brings them to a clearing, but still no closer to a town.

Stones are lined up in many rows and all are accompanied with a mound of dirt in front of them. Weeds have already made their home in many of the cracking crevices of the stones, but some of areas looked fresh, like the stones and dirt were just put there yesterday.

"What is this place?" Katara goes to kneel in front of the closest one. Her hand brushes away dirt and weeds, and underneath she finds a name and date.

"It's a graveyard." Zuko bows low, paying respects to the dead.

Katara hurriedly stands up and does the same. She should have realized before, but Earth Kingdom customs are different than the Water Tribe's. Where the Earth Kingdom buries their dead, in the Water tribes, they throw their dead in the sea, to be closer to Tui and La.

"The Fire Nation cermates their dead. I wish I knew how the Airbenders respected their deceased."

"Why? I'm sure Aang knows."

"It wouldn't matter now," Zuko says while staring at the gravestone Katara had uncovered. Pain flashes across his features.

"Why wouldn't it matter now?" Katara is oddly curious.

Zuko sits down at the next grave stone and starts to clear away vines that had grown around it. Katara kneels by the next stone to his left, waiting for his answer.

"I had to bury an entire nation," he says vaguely. He places a hand on the stone and mutters a blessing to the unnamed person who is buried below them. Katara looks at the stone, no name, just a date, dating back many years.

"I- I don't understand."

"I searched the Air Temples first when I was looking for the Avatar. Do you know what I found?"

She is scared to ask, but in her heart she knows what he found. "W-what?"

"Bones, skeletons of all the dead nomads. When the Fire Nation attacked, they didn't clean up their carnage. The airbenders' bones were scattered everywhere. Katara, I had to pay respects to children. I found a nursery in one of the temples; the soldiers just burnt them in their cribs. No mercy was shown to the women or children."

His golden eyes are full of pain and sadness. For the first time since she's known him, Zuko looks vulnerable.

"Aang saw the bones of Monk Gyatso. It made him go into the Avatar State. I can't imagine what it would have been like if the all of the bodies were left untouched. How old were you?"

"I was thirteen, and I had to pay respects to an extinct culture. I didn't want to burn their bones, as they were already subjected to fire once before. So I said prayers to my culture's gods, not theirs as the Fire Nation doesn't teach us who the Air Nomads worshiped, and tossed their bodies, no their bones, off the cliffs."

Katara stays silent, knowing Zuko isn't finished.

"In the Fire Nation, we were told the nomads fought back, that they resisted us. Resisted our greatness we were trying to spread to the world. " Zuko laughs, but there is no humor in it. "But there was no evidence of any struggle. At thirteen I didn't want to betray my nation any more than I already had. I pushed it from my mind. I haven't thought about those weeks in a long time."

She places a hand on his and gives it a gentle squeeze. "I think Aang would be very happy to know the nomads were given a burial with respect and were not just left there."

"I think seeing them broke me in a way my father couldn't. I didn't speak to anyone for many days afterwards. If I didn't do it, no one would have... except for Aang. But no child should have to burry his people."

Katara doesn't remove her hand, but turns her head to look at the three rows of graves in front of her. "These are soldiers, not villagers. That's why some have no name. Would you like to pay respects with me?"

He gives her hand a squeeze and pulls his away. "Of course."

She prays to Tui and La; he prays to Agni. Every prayer is laced with sadness and hope that these soldiers have found their way to the spirits.

* * *

 **It's odd updating on a Saturday, but I just finished the chapter and didn't want to wait another week.**

 **I strongly believe that Zuko had to burry the dead nomads; it is my number one headcanon.**

 **Yes, it's a filler. But the next chapter is going to be long. (Hint: They finally reach a town and interact with its inhabitants. What will come of that?)**

 **Please Review/Favorite/Follow:)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

 **Thanks to Guest, JourneyRocks13, The Congressman, Serenity Prime, airichan623, LovinZuko, Zutarafan1992, Zutara1267, and RavynneQueene for reviewing:)**

 **Thanks to all who Followed/Favorited:)**

* * *

She places ten copper pieces onto the bar. "We'd like two rooms for the night."

The man behind the bar, who was hopefully the owner of inn, stares at the money. His hands are busy wiping a mug with a cloth which has seen better days. The man grunts, and places the mug behind him. He places his grubby hands beside the pile of money.

"Miss, this will barely get you one room."

Katara's shoulders slump forward. She knows they have no more money besides a small amount they have put aside for food. Even with the money they received from selling the ostrich horse, they don't want to waste it on two inn rooms for only a couple of days. She glances back at her companion. Their only pack is slung over his shoulders; his swords hang by his side. The left side of his head is angled to the wooden floor, as if hoping that would hide his scar.

"Does that one room happen to have two beds?"

The innkeeper looks behind Katara, and Zuko dips his head lower. "In a bit of lover's spat I see. Sorry, only one bed. But I'm sure you two will be back on good terms soon. After all, it is the festival tomorrow night."

Katara opens her mouth to argue, that in fact her and Zuko are not a couple and never will be.

A hand comes out in front of her, pushing the money closer to the innkeeper. Zuko's breath is hot on her ear. "We'll take the room."

"It's the last room on the left; the only one still vacant. And Miss, make sure you and your boyfriend aren't too loud." The innkeeper winks.

"He's not my-"

She feels a force push on her back. Zuko's warm hand guides her to the stairs; she can barely hear the words he mumbles. "The man doesn't care."

Katara forces down her blush with a swallow and heads up the stairs, purposely putting distance between her and Zuko.

When Katara finally reaches their room, she lets out a cry of frustration at the size. A wash basin is crammed into the corner as the one bed takes up most of the space. And the rest is dedicated to a wooden dresser. There is barely a sliver of floor between the two. The lone window had been left open, making the room chillier than it should have been and it gives them a great view of people setting up for the festival.

Zuko comes up behind her, letting out his own grunt of disappointment. "I don't even have enough room to sleep on the floor."

"What made you think you would be on the floor?"

"Well I certainly wasn't going to make you have that privilege, and I am pretty sure you don't want to sleep in the same bed as me."

"We can all make sacrifices," Katara says nonchalantly, and Zuko's eyebrow raises slightly at her reaction. "I...uh I don't usually roll around or anything."

"Oh.. okay. That's good I guess." Zuko rubs the back of his neck because they are just standing there looking at the room, and it is starting to become awkward.

"I should close the window."

Katara is the first one to step into the room, and the boards creak under her foot. A grimace appears on her face, and she quickly steps over a couple of boards so she can get to the bed quicker.

The mattress is surprisingly soft as her knees make two indents. The window doesn't close all the way, leaving a slight gap for the chilly air.

At least I'm sleeping with a firebender, Katara thinks. Anything is better than one more night in the woods.

She flops back down onto the bed and watches with amusement as Zuko makes his way into the room, making sure to step over the board with the creak. Disgust blooms on his face and Katara can't help but feel the same way.

"Ten copper pieces got us this garbage?"

"Ten copper pieces would have gotten us the stables anywhere else."

"The ostrich horses have a better resting place than this."

Katara buries her face into the pillow muffling her groan. With her head buried, it occurs to her that there is only one pillow in the whole room. She is not going to enjoy being in such close contact with him.

Maybe the woods would have been better.

"Let's worry about it tomorrow." Katara pats the very little space next to her as she scoots closer to the wall.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Zuko says as he tentatively sits on the end of the bed and takes off his boots.

"Its fine Zuko. Just shut up and go to sleep." Katara rolls over and scowls at the wall, tracing the grooves with her eyes.

His back touches hers, but she can't move any farther away, and Katara has a feeling that half of his body is already hanging off the bed.

"Well, good night."

With that the one candle in the room is extinguished, and Katara now stares up at the moon.

* * *

"Are you here for a meal?" the innkeeper asks. He snaps his fingers, and a stable boy comes out from behind a swinging door. The innkeeper motions for the boy to take care of the man behind Katara while the innkeeper talks to her

"Actually I'm looking for the showers... if you have any."

"There 'round back, Miss." He leans across the bar top and points to the back door. "Go through that and take a left. It's not hard to miss."

"Thank y-"

"You'll want this," the innkeeper says roughly.

A slim white bar flies through the air; it lands with a hard thump on her palms. Soap. Her thumb rubs over the smooth, unblemished texture.

"That's one copper piece. You better pay for it when you get back." The man's dark eyes narrow as imprinting her image into his memory so he knows who owes him money.

"I will, don't worry sir." Katara bows low in thanks, clutching the bar of soap tightly in her right hand.

The outside shower is not impressive. A wooden shack complete with a crumbling curtain is the only worthy description of the structure Katara stands in front of. Katara brushes aside the curtain and grimaces as a piece of the fabric falls off into her hand, crumbling to dust in her palm.

A woman pushes past her, bumping Katara into the wooden frame with a grunt. "Sorry, sorry," says the woman as she brushes past Katara again. This time the wet tendrils of the woman's hair graze past Katara's nose.

At least I know I'm in the right place, Katara thinks as she wipes water off of her face even though she will be drenched with water soon enough.

As Katara's eyes adjust to the difference of light between the dimly lit shack and the dawn, she realizes there are separate stalls in the shack itself, making it more efficient for the inn occupants to go at once instead of waiting the inconvenience of going one at a time.

To Katara's shock and with slight disgust setting into her features, she suddenly notices it is also communal. Katara quickly diverts her eyes to the floor as she sees a grown man walk out of his stall with no towel.

Her feet pad against the floor as she makes her way to the farthest stall without looking at anyone coming out of their stalls. The last stall on the right is the smallest, but Katara doesn't want to be near any strangers while she bathes.

She locks the wooden door from the inside and places the bar of soap on the wooden self. Her fingers work steadily through the knots in her hair; Her face sets into of indecision as she tries to figure out what she should do with her clothes. Obviously she will need to buy new ones in the market today, but does she really want to put on her dirt ridden clothes again?

Katara's fingers snag on a tangle causing her lips to twitch in pain. She'll wash them, she decides at last. No one will see her waterbending in this stall. And it is the only option that does not end with her walking naked out of the stall and back up into the room.

She peels the tunic off of her body, throwing it into the corner of her stall to deal with it later. The trousers come off in a similar fashion as sweat and dirt have almost adhered the material to her skin, permanently.

Her bindings have stayed in far better condition though it is still a struggle to untie them and throw them into the pile.

Goose bumps rise on her naked body as a gust of wind blows in through the cracks in the wall. Her hands gropes for the lever that releases the water. A gush of stone cold water splashes down around Katara; the cold sears her skin causing Katara to shriek and stuff a fist into her mouth afterwards.

More prepared this time, Katara steps into the water stream, allowing it to wash away the first layer of dirt as her teeth chatter. Her fingers blindly graze the soap self, and she fumbles for the bar as it slips out of her hand and onto the soaked floor.

Grumbling, Katara reaches down for the pieces and starts lathering her body. The soap runs down the length of her body, and she has never felt so happy being under her element. As she brings the soap to her neck, her nose sniffs the air around her. She brings the bar to her face and sniffs it. The scent of jasmine fills her sinuses. A giddy grin spreads across her face; it is the best scent she has smelt in days.

Her fingers push up the lever to stop the torrent of water for a moment.

She gathers some sudges in her hands and starts to work on her hair. Her hands dig into her curls and start to scrape against her scalp. She runs her hands down the length of her hair, making sure she covers every inch. When sopa starts to run into her eyes, her hands slid over the lever and knock it down releasing the bone chilling water.

The soap washes completely out of her hair after a couple of minutes. With the water still pouring out from the ceiling, Katara grabs her disgusting clothes and starts to wash them with the bar of soap.

As she furiously scrubs each item of clothing, the bar shrinks until it is brittle enough to break under the pressure of her hand.

Zuko's going to have to buy another one, Katara thinks.

With another flick of her fingers, she flips up the lever. She bends tendrils of water from her clothes until they are as dry as they were before she took them off. Katara bends water from the rest of her body excluding her hair, knowing it will be questionable for her to come out with dry but clean hair.

She wrings her hair, twisting it between her hands so the extra water splashes to the floor. Her wet hair flops against her back as she puts back on her clothes.

Adjusting her undergarments to her desire, Katara skives putting back on the same outfit she has been wearing for more than a week, but she has to.

Katara opens the stall door when she is fully covered, and leaves the same way she came in, no eye contact.

When she reaches the door of the inn, she maneuvers her way through the throng of people just starting to come down for their morning meal or for other daily activities. She runs up the stairs, but not before catching the glare of the innkeeper. She gulps, and her pace quickens as her steps lead her closer to their room.

"Zuko," she says while opening the door in a flourish of hand fumbling, "I need one copper piece before the innkeeper kills me!"

Zuko openly gawks at her, but reaches into their money pouch by his dao blades. "Here," he says, placing a copper piece into her palm. "I don't want to know."

Katara turns as soon as the piece lands in her hand; her wet, unbound curls wack Zuko in the face as she completes the sudden turn.

"Sorry!" she calls out to him as she runs out of the room.

Her chest heaves in anticipation as she thunders down the stairs and kindly pushes past people. She places the copper piece on the bar with a clink. "For the soap," she says, out of breath.

The innkeeper gives her a weird glance. "Thanks."

Katara nods in return and heads back up the stairs at a leisurely pace. When she walks through the open door to their room, she is met with the sight of Zuko standing there with his arms crossed against his chest, waiting.

"I said I was sorry," she says sheepishly.

"Can I bathe now?"

"Yeah." She waterbends the water from her hair now that she is in the privacy of their room. The water, that she throws into the basin, leaves behind tangles that she will have to deal with later. Zuko grunts, and Katara looks up at him. He raises an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, right! They're around back. They're also communal." A light blush stains her cheeks

His eyes widen slightly. "Oh."

"If you want soap, don't forget a copper piece," Katara calls after him as he slowly shuts the door.

* * *

The sun relentlessly beats down on them as they walk through the town's market. Katara stays close to Zuko, trying not to catch eyes of strangers. She knows her looks points her out as an outsider; it makes her self conscious. It makes her want to curl up in a protective ball, safe from the views of these locals.

His fingers lightly hover behind her back as he leans down to whisper in her ear. "Katara you're making me nervous. You'll be fine." He fully lays his hand on her back and his thumb rubs soothing circles on her clothes.

"I know, it's just I look so different, I'm afraid someone will recognize me. I don't want to be the one who ruins everything."

"If someone is going to ruin this, it will be me. My face can't exactly be hidden." Zuko gestures vaguely to his scar, but covers it up by scratching his head for any onlookers.

"What are the chances that an Earth Kingdom town knows of Fire Nation royalty," she mumbles under her breath so no one but him can hear.

"You'd be surprised." He doesn't say anything else but stops at a vendor's table suddenly.

The stall is dedicated to men's clothing, and Katara realizes while she had the luxury of washing her clothes, Zuko had to put his dirty ones back on. Katara picks at the clothing, wondering if any would be good for her since she has found trousers to be a much more efficient article of clothing when one is traveling.

"How much for the tunic and trousers?" Zuko holds a bundle of green and brown in his hands.

The merchant looks up from his scroll. Pushing his glasses on his face, he says "I'd say a silver piece would be good enough."

Zuko grinds his teeth together at the outrageous price, and opens his mouth to haggle. Katara places her hand on his arm. "Lee, it's fine. Give the man his money."

Zuko sends her an incredulous stare, grumbling as he digs through the pouch for a silver piece. "Here," Zuko says, roughly placing the coin into the man's outstretched hand.

"Pleasure doing buisness with you." The merchant goes back to reading his scroll, and Zuko walks away from the stall clutching his new bundle.

"I could have bargained for a better price." Their foot steps lead them on the path to their inn, knowing that they are done shopping for the day.

"And make a scene? I don't think so."

They pass a shop Katara doesn't remember seeing on the way into the market. The prospect of being lost does not phase her; it is the contents of the shop that her quickening heart rate and sudden gasp are for. Her eyes snag on the dress maker's shop. The exquisite dresses gleam in the light of the mid afternoon sun, catching every sparkle, every shine of the silk they were sown with.

"Go ahead," he says, knowing the look in her eye. "I'll be back at the inn if you need me."

By the time Zuko's body fades into the crowd, Katara realizes she has no money even if she wanted to buy one of these dresses. But, her mind retaliates, what would you do with it?

Go to the festival, is her response. On her travels with Aang and her brother, her eyes have been opened up to many different cultures and traditions. Some drastically different from her quiet Water Tribe gatherings on the solstices. It's exciting to encounter a new experience, one she wants to be apart of.

A frown mars Katara's features as her feet start to drag her away from the dresses. Her mind is still caught up in the stitching that had to be done by hand. Katara doesn't notice when she passes the shop's open doorway, and someone calls out to her.

"Miss are you looking for a dress to the Spring Festival?"

Katara stops, turning her head for the person the voice belonged to. It takes a blink of her blue eyes for her to see a slim figure in the doorway. It takes another to realize this woman is talking to her.

Katara clears her throat. "I'm afraid I don't have any money."

The woman steps out from the shadows of the shop, and Katara is greeted with a young face, no older than eighteen or nineteen years of age. A smile graces her full lips and the woman's green eyes gleam with a delight of a potential customer. "That doesn't matter. You can return the dress in morning; no one has to know. I'm Avani." The shop owner bows slightly to Katara.

She returns the bow, adding, "It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Ling."

A lock of Avani's auburn hair falls in front of her face, marring the woman's face. With a slight chuckle Avani pushes her hair back into her bun, and gestures for Katara to follow her.

"Now Ling, are we looking to impress someone tonight?" Avani says once Katara steps into the store and onto the hard wood lining the floor.

Katara scowls as the face of an angry firebender pops into her head, but she smooths out her features before Avani can notice. "Not particularly."

"Then I guess we'll just have to get someone to notice you. Follow me." Avani grabs her by the hands and drags her farther into the shop.

Katara originally bristles at the sudden contact but soon relaxes as Katara realizes she may have just have made a friend in Avani.

When Katara's eyes adjust to the light change, her lips turn up in a smile of approval. It is quaint sized room. Bolts of fabric are lined up against the wall while finished dresses are hanging on hooks for the viewer to easily see. No one else is in the store, but Katara senses this one is popular just by the sear quality of the dresses Katara's gaze lingers on.

"I couldn't possibly take a dress form you without paying."

"Nonsense. I wouldn't want to see any maiden going to the festival in your clothing," Avani says bluntly.

Her face pales, and she starts to subconsciously brush dirt off of her shirt as if that will make her ragged outfit presentable. "I'm not even sure if I am going."

A surprised look lights up Avani's features. "What? You have to go; this is a must, especially since you are a traveler and have not experienced the magic of this festival."

"It seems you have persuaded me." The grin Katara gives her is pained as she realizes she will now have to convince a stubborn male with much more gusto. Though, Katara could always go alone and leave the firebender to brood in the dark if that is his alternative option.

Avani taps her chin. "Do you have a prefered color?"

"No. I don't know what I would look good in."

"Hmm. I have a feeling blue would be your color or red." Avani's mouth twist into one disgust, and Katara takes a tiny step backwards.

"W-what's wrong with those colors?"

Avani face morphs again, back into her goofy smile. "Nothing's wrong with blue; it's one of my favorite colors. But you must share my resentments of the color red."

"O-of course," Katara says quickly.

"We've lost many good men to those basterds, including my father. So excuse me for hating their sacred color."

"No excuses needed. I lost my mother to them; I know what it feels like."

"I'm not surprised. It seems like everyone has lost someone by the hands of a person in the Fire Nation. I hope the Avatar hurries and ends this spirit forsaken war soon."

"I keep my fingers crossed every day." Katara's heart clenches in sadness as she misses her brother and Aang; she misses them more than what she lets on, more than what she shows to Zuko.

Avani laughs breaking up the gloom that had fallen over the two of them. "Why talk of the war when we should be getting you into a dress for tonight?"

Katara giggles as the woman skips through a door at the back of the shop. She envies this woman's light hardness even after she had been through the tragedy of losing a parent. Avani quickly comes back from the room holding a pile of blue and green silk."There's three dresses here. One's green, but I think you will like the style."

Katara thanks her and proceeds to the curtained changing area. She tries on the first blue dress. It is a lighter shade of blue; it could almost be mistaken as white if a person just glanced at it. She shimmies herself into to it. The waist is snug and the fabric is tight under her arms and bust. Katara feels constricted, and after spending many weeks in trousers, she misses the mobility of them. She places the dress into the 'no' pile.

"You didn't happen to come to town with the man with the scar did you?" Avani says from the other side of the curtain.

Katara's heart freezes as she slowly unbuttons the green dress to try it on. "I did. Uh.. why do you want to know?"

"Just curious. Do you know how he got that scar?"

"From a firebender I believe. I only met him a couple of weeks ago so I wouldn't know the whole story." It hurts to lie to her new acquaintance? Friend? But Katara has to, to save Zuko and herself.

"It must have been a brutal fight... You're not dating him.. are you?" Avani says cautiously; the tone is complete with a hint of jealousy and amusement.

"No! I would never... talk about uggg." Katara mimics a gagging noise, and Avani laughs. Is she still lying? Katara doesn't know if anything she is saying to Avani is the truth.

"But is he single?"

Katara sees where this is going and decides to kill Avani's questioning before she gets to attached or before Zuko does something even worse. "I think he has someone; he uh.. he talks about her all the time." Katara lies as smoothly as she can.

"Oh. That's to bad."

Avani had missed judged her size as the green dress is just as tight as the first though Katara does like the style as Avani had suggested.

The darker blue dress fits perfectly, and Katara twirls a little in the changing room. The sleeves are long, but the style fits for the chilly nights. The dress swirls like the ocean at night, and Katara can't help but feel at home in this dress.

Katara slides the curtain aside to show Avani.

"Eeek!" she squeals with delight. "You look gorgeous. That dress looks beautiful on you. You, Miss Ling, are perfection. Any man tonight will be lucky to dance with you."

Katara blushes at the praise. "You.. You really think so?"

"I know so. Now go in and change back to whatever garb you were wearing before, and I'll pack that dress up for you."

When Katara is given the box with the dress, she can't help but let a smug smirk creep up onto her face in hope that a certain firebender will catch her wearing the elegant garment.

"I really wish I could pay you," she says finally.

"I own this shop so anything goes; as long as you return it, we're fine. I'll see you at the festival."

Katara finds herself nodding, hoping it is true.

* * *

When Katara comes in, Zuko is by the water basin. His face drips with water as his hands come to rake through his hair.

He's dressed in all black. His tunic and trousers are a messy heap on the floor, and his new clothes are folded neatly on the bed still unworn. His dao swords are sheathed on his back. His free hand clutches the ribbons of the Blue Spirit mask.

When her eyes snag on the swaying Blue Spirit mask, she lets out an growl causing Zuko to look up suddenly and with wide eyes.

"Where do you think you're going?"

His features gain control of their emotions, and his eyes narrow. "If you haven't noticed, we are in dire need of money or will be soon enough. There are plenty of rich people in this town; they won't notice a coin purse or two missing."

"We don't steal money from people." Katara adjusts the box underneath her arm.

"Ah, yes. We've been over this. It is apparent that you only steal from pirates. And before you ask, you're not going this time. Not after what happened when I decided to bring you along last time."

"We agreed that it was an honest mistak-"

"One you would whole heartedly make again because you care for everyone, even if they are strangers."

"Why can't we get a job; get money that way so we don't have to steal." She could work with Avani, if there is a job opening.

"You mean so _I_ don't have to steal. A job means we set roots in this town, a trail that can be easily picked up by any soldier, and one that will be hard to terminate when we leave."

Katara finds it hard to think of a respectable comeback, one that doesn't sound childish. "It's the middle of the day, Zuko. What do you expect to accomplish?"

"I've done this in broad daylight before."

"Please, Zuko think this through. We- you don't have to do this. We'll be fine with the money we have. I don't want to leave yet." It's her last plea, her last chance for him to see reason.

"You can't stop me," Zuko whispers; his eyes won't meet hers.

Her eyes widen, and mouth falls open in a sigh. The grip on her box tightens. "I guess I can't," she says quietly. His poster deflates as her words reach his ears. Zuko's feet take a step closer to her, but she backs up until the woods of the scratches her skin.

"I'll be at the festival when you want to come and find me." She thought he had changed. With her head held high, she wrenches open the door and slams it in her wake, not caring if Zuko has a response.

* * *

Katara fiddles with her hair as her drink slides down her throat. The cobblestone center is lit with lanterns of all shapes and sizes. The music is hard to hear over the roar of the crowd, but soon many couples of the festival are dancing and twirling to its rhythm.

Katara hears herself laughing at something Avani has just said, something her eyes were too distracted with for her to comprehend properly.

"Excuse me," Katara says suddenly putting her glass down. She sees him standing in the shadows, where the light of the lanterns can't reach him.

He changed out of his Blue Spirit costume. In place is a cleaner white tunic, one he must have purchased with his new found money. It is not the one he brought at the market earlier in the day. It wasn't causal; the tunic, though plain, was made for a night like this.

"I see your little expedition worked." She gestures vaguely to his new clothes.

He lowers his head to the ground as his boot swirls around the loose dirt. "I.. Uh.. I actually didn't go through with it."

Katara tries to hide the smile that creeps up on her face, maybe he has changed.

"It's the spring equinox, and I was thinking of how I didn't want any spirits angry with me since it is a festival for spirits, and I uh.. I saw most of families have children... so.. Uggg." Zuko brings up his fingers to pinch the bridge of his nose. A habit she notices he does when he is frustrated with himself and her.

Katara starts to giggle at his rambling but quickly stops when Zuko shoots her a glare. The smile doesn't fall from her face though.

"Dance with me." She holds out her arm in front of him. Her eyes shine with the magic of the festival.

He glances away from her, deciding to land his gaze on some of the village children playing with dolls. "No."

A pout graces her lips. "Do you not know how too?" Her arm is still extended out to him.

His jaw ticks. "I was a prince living in a palace. Of course I know how to dance." Zuko's arms fold in front of his chest, and he brings his gaze back to her. "I don't want to dance."

She grabs his arm anyways. Zuko stumbles after her and tries to rip his arm out of her grip, but she holds on tight. Katara stops walking when they land in the middle of square. Music plays, and other couples start to dance again.

Zuko stubbornly stands there, not wanting to partake in any of tonight's events, no matter how much his mother used to love this holiday.

"Dance with me, Lee."

He doesn't respond. Katara starts twirling around him, her new dress flying along with her. Her unbound hair whips her in the back and face.

Hands suddenly grip her wrists, stopping her in mid twirl. Golden eyes bore into her. "If I dance with you, will you stop this incessant twirling?"

"Of course." She doesn't bother to hide her grin anymore, she has won.

The grip on her wrists slanken. One of his hands goes to clasp hers, while the other glides to her waist.

She gently rests her other hand on his shoulder.

They start off sloppy, not used to dancing with each other. They stumble; she thinks she has stepped on Zuko's feet at least twice. They are more synchronized when fighting. As the music plays on, Zuko relaxes his body, letting it glide with the music. Katara stops looking down at her feet and gives herself courage to look at his face.

"My mother used to love this holiday." They say at the same time, lost in their surroundings and music of the festival.

Both of them blush at the mortification of saying the exact same thing. They still keep the rhythm of the dance.

Katara stays silent, mulling over what she should say.

Out of character, surprising Katara and himself, Zuko speaks first. His voice is hushed to a whisper so surrounding dancers don't over hear. But Katara is close enough to hear him, close enough to feel his hot breath on her face. Close enough to smell his scent of cinnamon and smoke.

"In the Fire Nation, we used to go all out for this holiday. It was the one day where my father was out celebrating with the capital, and I was home. Most years, it would just be me and my mother." His eyes glaze over, and his lips twitch in a hint of a smile, though one never comes.

"In my tribe, we would all come together to sing songs and pray to the spirits for a good summer." The level of her voice matches his whisper. "We still tried to keep up the traditions when the men went to war, but it wasn't the same."

"Nothing is the same anymore."

No, nothing is the same. Here she is dancing with her sworn enemy. His hand is clutching her waist, and she doesn't mind. Some how her arm has slung itself around his neck, consequently bringing them closer together. Her fingers fiddle with the short ends of his hair; she has yet to notice.

"You look uh.. you look nice." Zuko's usually pale skin is stained pink, but his eyes don't wander to avoid embarrassment.

Katara raises an eyebrow. "Is nice all I get?"

Zuko clears his throat, and pink becomes red. "No not nice... beautiful. You look beautiful."

She blushes at the compliment as Zuko twirls her in rhythm with the other couples. Her shoes tap on the cobblestone, and her hair frames her head in massive curls as she twirls and twirls. "Thank you," she says breathlessly.

The blush never leaves Zuko's cheeks. "Do I want to know how much that dress cost us?" Zuko places his hand on her waist again, and their feet return to their original movements. He must have forgotten that he holds the money.

"It was free."

"Free," he says disbelievingly.

"As long as I bring it back in perfect condition to Avani tomorrow."

His brow furrows in confusion. "Who's Avani?"

"A friend," Katara says flippantly.

Zuko's mouth falls open slightly before he responds in full. "You made a friend?"

"It is surprisingly easy if one is.. hospitable." Katara can't help her mocking tone as a scowl graces his features.

"How about your outfit?" Katara tugs on the fabric near his neck. The material is cotton, but if one looks at it in the right light, the shirt would have the semblance of silk.

"Not enough for us to be worried." His voice trails off at end.

"Lee..."

"Just our remaining copper pieces," Zuko relents at last. "Are you going to tell me I'm beautiful too?" His lips turn up in a sly smirk as his eyes fill with amusement.

"No."

Katara lets out a surprised shriek as Zuko picks her up off the ground and starts spinning her in the air. Her hands clutch tightly on his shoulders, and her fingers dig into the thin material of his shirt. Luckily, her shriek does not cause a turn of heads.

"Lee, put me down!" But the effect of her tone is lost as she starts to laugh. He gives her a pointed look and keeps spinning her. "Fine, fine, you look _very_ pretty tonight."

"Close enough." Zuko stops spinning her, letting her feet touch the ground once more. Zuko clutches his head as the world suddenly starts to spin.

"Why did you do that?" Katara's feet wobbles on the cobblestone as she tries to regain her balance.

"I.. I'm not to sure. But it did not have the desired outcome."

Her vision clears, and the image of Zuko stops spinning around her. Katara realizes she is know under the shadows of the trees, that Zuko had danced them away from the festival. She turns around, coming face to face with Zuko's sparkling golden eyes, like miniature suns.

"Are you all right?" he says at last.

Her hands play with the hem of the sleeve as she nods. Katara tilts her head up and kisses him on his scarred cheek, an impromptu act, but one she doesn't regret. Her lips linger for a moment before she pulls away. His eyes flutter close from the unexpected contact, and his eyelashes cast strange shadows across his unscarred cheek. "Thank you for everything you've done for me, even when I didn't deserve it."

If Zuko says anything after, she doesn't hear it as a sudden wave of drowsiness claims her. It's when she closes her eyes and leans against Zuko's body as he carries her back to their room. It's when he lays her gently down onto the bed, making sure she is covered. In her sleep induced haze, she thinks that maybe it is best that some things don't stay the same.

* * *

 **My longest chapter ever!**

 **I like to think that this ends part 1 of the story. If the Zutara went a little to fast in this chapter, I'm sorry. But to those who are worried about the pace, no lip on lip action will happen for a while.**

 **I'm starting school in three days (I'm not happy about that), so I don't know how updates are going to go since this is the last chapter I had big parts already written up. Don't expect one next week, but I'll see what I can do.**

 **Speaking of not having things written, is there anything you would like to see in upcoming chapters? I have the rough outline planed but I am always looking to add to it.**

 **Please Review/Follow/Favorite:)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

 **Thanks to WaterPrincess17, The Congressman, Niqi Rose, guest, Zutarafan1992, JourneyRocks13, Zutara1267,** **Ravynne Queene, and Guest for reviewing:)**

 **A big shoutout to both The Congressman and Ravynne Queene for helping me through my writer's block. Thank you so much!**

* * *

When the sunlight hits Katara in the face, she groans, rolling over until she hits a solid mass. Her nose bumps into his back, causing her to winch and slowly open her eyes. She is met with golden eyes an inch away from her own.

"Good morning."

He is close enough for his nose to brush over her cheek, bringing up memories from the night before of her lips brushing his scarred cheek and feeling the rough patch of skin on her smooth lips. Her mouth parts at the memory and wonders what his lips, which are inches away from her own, would feel like. Would they be rough or soft?

Katara regains control of her thoughts, enough to beat down an expected blush. "I've never seen you this happy in the morning."

"The mood from the festival must have stayed with me."

She iches to touch his scar with her fingers, to outline his features with the pads of her fingertips. Her hand inches out from under the pillow, and with a life of its own, it delicately lands on the side of Zuko's face; her thumb rests on the corner of his mouth. The pads of her fingertips land on the very edge of his scar, right where smooth skin melds with puckered skin. He sucks in a breath, his eyes flickering to her hand.

"Ka-Katara what are you doing?" he rasps.

Her hand leaves the side of his face as quickly as it was placed. Her eyes are downcast. "I-I'm sorry." She sits up quickly in the bed, allowing the blanket to fall from her shoulders. Katara rubs the sleep out of her eyes, kneading the heels of her palms deep into her eyes. What was she thinking? One does not touch someone's face without permission, especially if that someone is a very temperamental firebender.

She steps over his legs to climb out of their shared bed. The wood scratches her bare feet, and Katara realizes she is no longer wearing the boots she was wearing to the festival. She finds them placed neatly by the side of the bed.

Zuko has his face smashed deep into the pillow; only his hair is visible. Katara prodes him in the back, and his groans and mumbles are muffled by the pillow until he turns his head to face her. "What?"

"Just making sure you didn't fall back to sleep."

"That's your job Katara. I was just resting."

"With your face completely suffocated by a pillow," Katara deadpans.

"We all have different methods waterbender. Get dressed; you're still in your clothes from the festival." Zuko hides a quick yawn as he swings his legs over the side of the bed and sits up, stretching his arms above his head.

Her hands pat the fabric of her stomach, and to her horrification she finds that she is still wearing the dress that wasn't supposed to get ruined. She slept in the dress; this does not bode well. Katara quickly unhooks the buttons in the back, and lets the garment fall to the floor in a pool of dark blue. She steps out of the bundle, shivering as a cool breeze snakes up her bare legs. Katara turns around to tell Zuko she has to return the dress, only to find his back turned to her and is sporting a very red neck.

She cocks her head in confusion at his taut body and flushed skin. "Are you okay? You're not... sick are you?"

"Katara maybe you should put some clothes on."

Her blue eyes bulge, and she turns around quickly, hugging herself as if that would hide her undergarments. She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. She was going to change in front of him. How could she have been so stupid? Katara had forgotten he was there, facing her... At least Zuko had the decency to turn when she had lost a majority of her common sense. She pounds a fist against her head; honestly what is with her this morning?

"So stupid," she mutters to herself as she tugs on her clothes before she topples over from the embarrassment. She hops on one leg as she quickly pulls up her trousers, one leg at a time; her tunic slides on in a much simpilar fashion.

Her hands gather the bundle of silk lying on the floor, and she hopes it will still pass as brand new. Hopefully the wrinkles can be easily removed from the garment. "I'm going to go now."

"I'll meet up with you soon." His head turns slightly, and he looks at her from the corner of his damaged eye. "We," he clears his throat, "we should leave today."

"Right, I'll be down at the dressmaker's shop when you're ready."

* * *

Avani takes the fabric from her outstretched arms. She lays it out on her front table and inspects the garment. Her hands slide over the creases in the material. She flips the dress over to scan the back.

"I know it's not in perfect condition," Katara rushes, locking her hands together. "But I accidentally slept in it. I'm really sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about Ling. With a little heat and water, these creases will be gone from the dress in no time. You do have to answer one question for me though," Avani says with a smile.

"Of course."

"For someone to have a girl where ever he came from, you two seemed pretty close at the festival last night?" Avani narrows her eyes as Katara gulps.

"I was just thanking him for helping me," but her cheeks betray her with the red tint showing through her darker skin.

Avani raises an eyebrow. "You thanked him with a kiss?" she asks skeptically.

"It was a _friendly_ kiss on the cheek."

"It was still a kiss, Ling. You like him." Avani smirks, and her eyes sparkle with mirth. She starts smacking her lips together, imitating a kiss.

Katara starts to shake her head violently. "I swear to you, I don't."

"Don't what?"

Katara whirls around to find Zuko leaning against the frame of the doorway. His dao swords and their one pack are slung over his shoulders. How long has he been standing there? "Oh, uh H-hi Lee."

"Don't what?" The way he tilts his head in a questioning motion gives Katara the okay to give a sigh of relief; he had only just come.

"Avani uhh... was wondering if I... was going to need the dress in the future."

"But she said no." Avani jumps in.

Katara scratches the back of her head and turns to give Zuko a cheeky smile. "That's what I said."

Zuko comes to walk further into the shop, his eyes narrowed and mouth set into a questioning frown. "It's time to go."

"You know what?" Avani says while lacing her arm Katara's shoulder. "I need to take you two to the best noodle shop in this town before you depart."

"That shouldn't be necessary. We were just leaving, right Ling?" Zuko starts to inch backwards.

"I would love to go!" Katara says turning to Avani and completely ignoring Zuko.

They start to walk out the door and giggle as they pass Zuko, whose face has twisted into one of disbelief and dreadfulness. "Come on Lee." Avani beckons for Zuko to come. "You're going to miss out on all the good food."

Zuko crosses his arms across his chest and scowls. Katara stops at the doorway, causing Avani to jerk to a halt at the sudden loss of momentum. Katara turns around, placing her hands on her hips, to face Zuko. Her lips from a pout, and she starts to work on her plea.

"It won't be fun unless you're with us, Lee."

"Then don't have fun. I'd rather eat back at the inn." His eyes drift to the ceiling, not looking at Katara's face.

"You're coming with us. I don't want to leave you alone to do something stupid." Her fingers twist into the material of his sleeve and she drags him out the door to where Avani is waiting.

"This is stupid," Zuko mutters into her ear, causing Katara to whack him on the shoulder.

* * *

"If you don't move that rock Twinkletoes, I'm going to shove it so far up your ass that you'll have to earthbend to get it out!"

Aang sighs and wipes the sweat off of his brow. His feet slide into their firm stance and he thrusts his arms out in front of him, the muscles straining in his arms. "Eurr.. arrrgg!" The rock doesn't budge. Aang drops his arms in defeat and wheezes from the effort.

Aang cringes when he sees the scowl on Toph's face and diverts his gaze to Sokka sharpening his boomerang. "I can't do it Toph. Not with Kat-"

"How long has Sugar Queen been gone? A couple of days at most?" Toph interrupts. Her anger mounts with each passing day. Each day where a rock doesn't get moved, and Sokka and Aang become even more desperate to find Katara.

"A couple of days?!" Aang and Sokka shout at the same time. "She's been gone for two weeks and four days."

"And if she was dead, we would have heard about it," Toph snaps back. "Katara is probably out there helping the helpless or has rooted herself in a quaint little town."

"Then we should start loo-"

"No, Aang. You have to learn earthbending now! We don't have time to announce our presence in every town, especially since someone is trying to capture you."

Sokka nods in agreement. "Zuko, those girls from Omashu, possibly Admiral Zhao." He starts to count on his fingers. "We have to be one step ahead of them. And if that means," he gulps, "leaving Katara alone for a little while longer, than that is what must be done."

"Now Twinkletoes, this is your last warning. Move the rock!"

* * *

"This town is now occupied by the Fire Nation," says a booming voice. "Come out of your holes, peasants."

Katara chokes on her noodles and pounds her chest as she coughs them down. Frantic screams are heard all around the noodle shop as people are dragged out of their homes and kicked into the streets. Katara joins Avani and Zuko, along with the rest of the shop's customers, at the front of the crowd.

Zuko places a hand on her shoulder, startling Katara enough to jump in place, but is soon comforted by the soothing sound of his voice. "Stay close to me."

"What's going on?" Katara asks, trying to peer around people's bodies and heads.

Avani turns to her with silent tears streaming down her face. "The Fire Nation, they're making us a new colony. Even towns this far into the Earth Kingdom are no longer safe. I just didn't think it would happen so soon."

The images of Avani's grief and other families fearful looks engrave themselves into her mind. "We have to help them Lee. We c-can't let this town suffer; I can't le-"

"Ka-Ling there's nothing we can do about it. You can always come back with... your friends, but right now, there is nothing we can possibly do."

Katara's eyes harden. If he won't help her, she'll have to do it herself. "Watch me." She rips her shoulder out from under his grip and sprints to the center where the soldiers stand with their swords drawn and fists up.

"Leave this town alone!" she shouts.

"What are you going to do about it?" says the lead soldier, a general presumably with all his military ornaments on his uniform. He sends a burst of flame at Katara's feet and laughs as she jumps backwards in effort to avoid the fire. "You're powerless, and apparently friendless." The general gestures to the crowd who has taken a step back because of her actions.

"No, she's not." Zuko stands behind her with his swords drawn. He walks closer to her, nodding at her to start this.

How convenient of the soldiers to be standing near the fountain. With a wide, circular motion of her arms, a wave of water crashes into the sides of three of the soldiers, knocking them to the ground. The crowd gasps at her bending.

But that is all she can do; her movements falter, and the knocked down soldiers start to regain their bearings. Zuko's swords clang off another, and his left foot kicks a soldier behind him in the chest. His movements are fluid, but many soldiers enclose onto him, and she finds herself back to back with him.

"Can you help me out?" he growls out, blocking a fire blast with both swords.

Katara frantically jerks her hands in simple waterbending gesture, but no water comes to her command. "I-I can't bend!"

"Screw this," and Zuko throws her his dao blades to protect herself. With a sweep of his leg, he sends an arc of fire to the nearest soldier. The outcry of the citizens are soon followed.

Katara bites her lip as she prys the attack of another Fire Nation soldier. Zuko sends wave after wave of fire at the soldiers. The town is completely paralyzed in shock now; the only sounds that can be heard come from the clang of metal on metal and the whoosh of furious firebending.

Her left blade is thrown from her grasp, and she grips the hilt of the right dao blade with two hands, raising it above her head to block another attack. Her bending is still missing.

They're back to back again. Katara's hands ache from her tight grip on the sword; Zuko's face glistens with a thin layer of sweat.

"We can't take them," he says.

"We will," Katara says in return, and desperation leaves his eyes from hearing the confidence in her tone.

The soldiers surround them, with no gaps left open for a quick escape.

Zuko turns to Katara. "When I say duck, lie flat on the ground and cover your face."

Her eyes fill with questions, but she nods instead. The soldiers are closer now, and their fire stifles the air Katara is breathing.

"Duck!" Zuko shouts, and she drops herself to the ground trying to stay as flat she can be. She peaks through her hands covering her face.

Zuko drops to a squat and moves in a circle as he lays on his back, kicking his feet in a circular motion. A ring of fire bursts from the soles of his feet, and catches the surprised soldiers in the stomach. They double over in pain, hands cupping their stomachs to stop the bleeding and the ones able enough start to run away, back to where they came from.

Only the general is left, his armor gleaming in the afternoon light. "Who are you boy? Let me see your face again."

Zuko stands up, and Katara follows suit. His face is darkened and wary. "You know who I am. Now leave!" he roars, punching a burst of flames in the direction of the remaining soldier's face.

When the man finally runs, Katara turns to face the silent crowd, still awestruck at the spectacle of Zuko's bending. Avani emerges from the front of the crowd and is the first to break the tense silence that hung in the air.

Avani's hands are balled into fists. "I thought I had finally found a friend. I guess I was wrong."

"But we just saved you." Katara takes a step closer to Avani, only for her to step backwards.

"You're in league with the Fire Nation." Avani gestures to Zuko who is picking up his discarded dao blades and their bag. "He's a firebender. We don't like his kind here," she spats.

With a clink of his blades, they disappear behind his back. She turns to catch Zuko's eyes which are filled with pain, exactly like hers. Katara turns her head back to Avani whose lips are curled in disgust and rage builds behind her eyes. Other town folk start taunting them; their yells blast profanity and unwantedness in Katara and Zuko's direction.

"But Avani, I'm not Fire Nation. I thou-"

"As far as I'm concerned, you are."

Zuko's hand latches on to hers, and her feet start to move on their own accord though her eyes are still searching for an ounce of gratitude from anyone. Her mind can't comprehend the situation. And tears start to well up in Katara's eyes when Avani turns her back to her.

* * *

Their safety up the hill and father than the first row of trees when Katara speaks.

"This has happened before, to you." She does not phrase it as a question.

"Once," and his mind, without permission, conjures up images of the little boy who wanted him as a brother once, before Zuko had firebended.

His body stills, and the hairs on the back of his neck rise as a chill passes over his spine. Zuko turns back to the first line of trees as his hearing picks up the sound of marching footsteps.

His golden eyes widen a fraction and his mind races with questions, only one of which he speaks out loud. "What in the name of Agni is she doing here?" He's speechless; he can't move. Zuko stands at the edge of the tree line, overlooking the hill.

She steps off of the palanquin as two more are set down a couple of inches behind hers. Zuko is too far away for her to see him, but he has a perfect view. Two figures step out of the lowered palanquins, and he sucks in a breath as he recognizes them as Mai and Ty Lee, only many years older.

It will only be a matter of time before Azula started to question the village. With a flick of her bangs, Azula's face turns towards the direction of the woods. Zuko closes his eyes as if hoping that will make him and Katara invisible though they are still safely out of view. When he opens his eyes, Azula's are still looking in his direction, but not _looking_ at him.

Her copper eyes will haunt his dreams tonight.

There is a tug on his shoulder, and Katara is peering around him, trying to see who or what has captured his attention. The skin around her eyes crinkle as she narrows them to get a better view. A little eep is released from her mouth as she backs up slightly and father into the cover of the forest.

"It's them."

Zuko chokes on his words. "Y-you know them!?" He doesn't know if he should be worried or surprised. Then again, he should have known his father would have tasked Azula to capture the Avatar after his... failures.

"The girl in pink was the first one who took away my bending though it came back several minutes later." Katara glances down at her hands, and Zuko knows she still can not bend. It didn't come back this time.

He turns back to village only to see three empty spaces where his sister and her friends once stood. It is time to run now. Zuko grabs one of Katara's hands and drags her along as he starts to sprint deeper into the forest.

It is time to get far, far away.

* * *

She isn't sure what about the three girls made Zuko so startled. If he ran into them before, he hasn't mentioned it. His hand is still clamped around hers, and her steady, even pace has now fallen to a stager.

"Zuko," she pants in short, shallow breaths, "I need to stop."

Before he can answer, her knees hit the ground as a sudden spark of pain shoots through her body. Her hands scrape against the dirt and little cuts pepper her palms. Zuko gently pulls her hair out of her face as she starts to retch up her lunch.

* * *

 **I apologize for the crappiness of this chapter. I had a very difficult time writing it, and I'm still not entirely happy with how the beginning and middle turned out. But I wanted to update this weekend which is why you're getting this on a Sunday night.**

 **Sorry for any mistakes, this was a quick two day write with a rushed editing job.**

 **So I figure those soldiers were traveling with Azula or something, and that's why she showed up right after because they came crawling back to her.**

 **I have so much work for school; I don't how frequently I will be able to update. I'll try to shoot for every two weeks but no promises.**

 **Please Review/Favorite/Follow:)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

 **Thanks to Ravynne Queene, DylPicklezz, JourneyRocks13, guest, The Congressman, Flutterby Rose, Zutara1267, Guest, and Actual-Grendel for reviewing:)**

* * *

Her head throbs and pounds against her skull. Her throat is dry and scratchy. When Katara coughs, she ends up expelling any liquid or food she has consumed in the past day. And when she has no food left in her stomach, she starts to cough out bile and unknown fluids.

Katara's eyes water; her mouth is a mixture of sandpaper and bile. Her stomach is sore, and her throat is raw from the constant heaving.

Zuko tries to help as much as he can. He would coax water into her mouth so she wouldn't become too dehydrated, but would only frown when twenty minutes later she would be retching it back up.

Katara wants to thank him, but her mouth only parts for food both venturing in and out of her body. Her half lidded eyes barely catch his worried frowns when ever he watches her.

When she wakes up with a start the next morning, her skin is on fire, but her head has ceased its pounding, and she is able to accumulate saliva in her mouth and swallow, wetting the back of her throat.

Though her skin feels like it is burning to ashes, her mind is oddly calm and clear. Her thoughts can be heard for the first time since the village.

But when Katara looks down, she realizes she's bleeding; her moon cycle has come at last. Yet, it still doesn't explain the fire on her skin and her sickness the previous day. Katara sighs; at least she brought extra wrappings in the village for this purpose.

Her eyes scan the premise; Zuko isn't around, and she hopes she can avoid him entirely until she has cleaned herself up. She gingerly crawls over to their pack left by her side. Her hands blindly search the bag until the tips of her fingers brush against the soft cotton fabric of her bindings.

Katara changes into clean wrappings as quickly as possible, in case an illusive firebender appears from wherever he went. She drops everything that needs to be washed, including her bed roll, in a pile by her feet.

Her tunic did not get ruined, and she allows it to hide her bottom wrappings as she discards her trousers in the pile to be washed.

Katara's eyes flicker to the woods in front of her. There is a river, a fast flowing river, no more than a few jumps away. She can hear the roar in her ears, and she wonders if that is only her imagination. Can she still bend? But with more important matters to attend to, she decides to try later, at the river, where she can be disapointed in private.

The rush of the river becomes louder, impossibly louder, but with the water source in view, Katara knows it is all in her head.

She sees him sitting by the water's edge, absently trailing his fingers through the current. Katara's foot snaps a twig, and his head jerks up, quickly turning to see what, who, caused the commotion. Zuko jumps up and makes his way over to her waiting form.

She tries to hide her sullied bindings and mat, but he spots them before she is able to maneuver them behind her back.

"Are you hurt?!" Zuko looks startled as he stares at her bloody mat and wrappings that she has taken off to replace with new ones.

A light blush stains her cheeks. "Um.. No. Uh uh." Honestly, it is very embarrassing to explain it to a guy, especially one who had been her enemy. "My moon cycle came."

"Your moon cyc- Oh!" Zuko's good eye widens and is quickly everted to the dirt ground. He shuffles his feet back and forth, a deeper blush than the one Katara is sporting colors Zuko's cheeks.

Katara is waiting for him to run away. That's what Sokka usually did. Stating he didn't want to be in a five feet distance when she had her 'girly' problems. An awkward silence hangs in the air. Zuko's face is blanched, and he absently rubs the back of his neck, cringing.

Katara licks her lips. She tries to figure out how to either, maneuver around Zuko and continue her intended task or stay here standing with her eyes downcasted. "I uh.. I should probably wash these."

His eyes flicker up to her face. "Oh.. Uh.. yeah." The conversation dies out, still leaving the two facing each other, not moving. His feet shuffle along the ground, digging a groove into the dirt. His movements slow as his eyes bug out of his head in realization. "I'm going to leave now."

Katara watches him disappear behind a tree trunk and turns her gaze to the water. Can she still bend? The soiled garments drop to the ground; her bare feet plod to the water's edge.

 _Will she be able?_

 _Will she not be able to?_

Katara believes she may cry if she is not able to move a drop of water. Her feet slide deeper into the water, and the current swirls by her ankles. She flicks her arms back and forth in the first movement she ever taught herself. It takes to long for the water to respond to her. It takes to long, and a silent tear winds its way down her cheek.

In anger, she flicks her wrists like she would at the end of making a water whip, and the water splashes her in the face. Katara tries again; this time she is able to suspend the water in front of her. She breaks the sphere into separate droplets still suspended in the air just to make sure she is not hallucinating.

Her bending is back.

She laughs like a maniac. The water twirls above her head, and in a flourish she whips it to the nearest tree, effectively shearing off a low hanging branch. She turns the streams of water by her feet to ice, letting the current carry the hardened chunks down the stream. She feels alive; her flame is back. And then dread drops inside of her.

Her vision goes stark white; then black dots blink in and out of focus, until she becomes too lightheaded and dizzy to be able to stand. Katara's feet wobble, and she topples into the river below her. Her backside impacts on a soft patch of loose sand, but the jarring effect sends cramps shooting down her side to settle in her abdomen. Her sudden screams are diluted by the water roaring past her ears and choking her. When Katara's vision returns, she is lying on her back, half out of the river and half in. Her hair flies out behind her, dancing with the current but not able to be taken away.

Katara whimpers and doesn't know if anyone can hear. Her cramps are paralyzing with pain, and this is not a condition she can heal with glowing blue water. She doesn't even know if she has the strength to bend one droplet.

Her wrappings are still by the bank, still uncleaned. Katara can barely move her head and is not sure how she will be able to walk, no crawl, back to their campsite. Katara wonders if her screams even worked, or if Zuko would even care to hear her cries.

She is about to close her eyes and try to ignore the pain clouding her thoughts, when there is a sound of bushes being trampled, branches snapping, and a voice screaming "Katara!"

He does care, she is able to think once her brain decodes that the voice belongs to her firebender. A loopy smile appears on her face just as she accumulates the strength to crack her eyes open.

"Katara, Katara!" he says once he finds her laying in the water. He picks her body up out of the water and lays her down by the bank. "What's wrong?" His hands clear her face of any loose hairs that stick to her wet skin, and he starts to fret over her.

"Nothing.. it just hurts so much." Her eyes flutter closed as she bites the inside of her mouth from crying.

"Where are you hurt?" His eyes are searching her body as if the wound will be obvious to see like a burn.

She shakes her head and muscle control begins to return as the pain recedes slightly. "There's nothing you can do. It's a side effect of a cycle. Just carry me back?" She starts to struggle to sit up, thinking he would leave her on her own to flounder back to the campsite.

Before Katara can lift her back off of the ground, he scoops her to his chest, not even grunting with effort. Zuko deposits her on his mat, as hers is still ruined, giving her one last fleeting glance but knows there is nothing he can do. One cannot fight the human body.

When he leaves, she curls up on the mat with her hand pressed against her abdomen. She tries not cry out in pain when the cramps spike in her lower area. Her teeth are clenched tightly together, and her jaw starts to ache. But she does not want to show weakness. With her teeth momentarily parted, she lets out a soft groan.

She doesn't understand why her cramps are so bad; they never were before; at least, they never paralyzed her. It's like she can feel the blood moving throughout her body. Her fingers twitch slightly as if trying to control the blood inside her. If Katara concentrates, she can pick out the individual pathways, the individual blood molecules.

Zuko who had been tending the fire straightens his back in alertness. He gets up from his sitting position and heads over to her, where she is trying hard not to whimper in pain.

Golden eyes come into her line of vision as Zuko kneels down. "Is there uh.. Is there anything I can do?"

Katara shuts her eyes momentarily. She lifts herself from her laying down position to sit upright and face Zuko properly. Her head is clearer no. With her hand still clutching her abdomen she speaks. "Gran Gran used to give me heated water flasks when the cramps got really bad." But they were never this severe.

She winces as she shifts herself into a better position only to feel Zuko pushing her down.

"I-I don't think we have any extra water flasks you can use but uh... I-" Zuko cuts off his sentence, leaving Katara confused and wondering if he is going to leave her to wallow in the pain.

Zuko crawls around Katara's body and onto her - his- mat. Katara tenses as his arms circle her stomach. She feels his hand slide onto hers.

"Is this where it hurts?" Zuko's breath tickles the hairs on the back of her neck.

She numbingly nods and slowly slides her hand away, allowing Zuko's to take its place. The heat from his hand makes Katara's eyes flutter closed. The pain from her moon cycle lessens, allowing her a moment's peace. But her intricate sense of the blood does not leave with her cramps.

She places her hands over his. Trying to get the heat radiating from him to the rest of her body, she slides back until she feels Zuko's chest against her. Katara sighs as her whole body is warmed up, blocking out the cold spring breeze and the sharp pains of her moon time.

Zuko's breathing is even as she feels his breath blow past her ear. Katara wonders if he has fallen asleep, but she feels the sensation of Zuko maneuvering his other hand and placing it side by side the one on her body.

"Do you feel better?" He's asking her about yesterday and now.

"Yes. Thank you. Who knew firebenders were useful for all sorts of things?"

"This is a new experience for me. I'm sure if I tried this with my sister she would rip my head off and feed it to the Komodo Rhinos."

"You have a sister?" Katara raises her eyebrow though Zuko is not able to see. A sister, well this is an interesting fact.

"She's a monster, and she's trying to kill me." Heat swells in his hand; beads of sweat start to accumulate on her forehead, but she doesn't complain.

Katara squeezes her eyes shut; her stomach rolls as she comes to a realization. "Is she trying to hunt Aang?" _Is she part of the group of three girls?_

"Along with her friends." Zuko mumbles into her neck. But it is his unspoken answer to her unspoken question that quakes her body with shivers.

Will they ever get a break? It seemed that everyone wanted Aang captured. Everyone in _Zuko's family_ wants Aang. Katara closes her eyes and lets the heat consume her. She is back in her tribe, before she even knew what an Avatar was. Her Gran Gran cooks dinner, the smells awakening Katara's senses. Zuko's warm hands against her stomach reminds her about the times by the fire with her father and Sokka singing tribal songs, and herself, only humming along, to young to remember the lyrics.

"Are you still planning on capturing Aang?" It is an honest question, one that has been plaguing Katara's mind since she found out Zuko was the man behind the mask.

"Still don't trust me?"

"I don't trust you around Aang. Yet some how I can't picture that snobby prince aboard his ship would ever help a girl out on their moon cycle. You have changed."

He snorts and picks his head up to look at her. "I was not snobby."

"You called me peasant at least six or seven times." She counts the times on his hand, flicking a finger for every instance.

"Hmm." One of his hands leaves her stomach to avoid her poking and starts to twirl one of her brown, though still wet, curls in between his fingers. "Would you like me to apologize?"

She drags his hand back down to her skin. "No. I think you're already serving your punishment."

There is no more conversation afterwards. Katara, mentally and physically exhausted, finds sleep as soon as her eyelids close. Her breathing slows, and Zuko starts to chuckle as mumbles in her sleep, but he does not pay attention to her words.

"To answer your question, no I don't think I will be hunting Aang anymore," he says to her sleeping body.

* * *

 **I am so so sorry with how late this chapter is (and how crappy it turned out too). Junior year is killing me; I never even imagined that I wouldn't have time to write for this story.**

 **There was going to be a little more to the end of this chapter (that I'm going to add to the beginning of the next), but I thought this ending was much better.**

 **From now on, expect a chapter once a month. That is probably the best I can do for now.**

 **Please Review/Favorite/Follow:)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA**

 **Thanks to Ravynne Queene of Glasse, A True Hufflepuff 13, AFreakLikeYou, The Congressman, JourneyRocks13, guest, Zutara 1267, Lunachan90, and Flutterby Rose for reviewing:)**

 **Thank you so much for sticking with me through these long breaks.**

* * *

Katara's feet dip in the water, and she starts to swirl the water and dirt around with her toes.

She is supposed to try to connect with Tui and La, but Zuko told her to take it slow, start with finding her center and her chi.

She crosses her legs the way she remembers Zuko doing in the mornings past. She places both of her fists together; the tips of her thumbs touch. Katara slowly breathes through her nose, trying to follow her chi paths, just like Zuko told her to.

But she can't find them, and the water continuously laps against her thighs. She breathes in and out, deciding to search for the body's natural path. She traces her veins, and in her mind she walks along their flow of blood and through intricate pathways all over her body. The blood red lines turn to gold as she stumbles across her hidden chi, quite literally as her mind trips over bumps and dips thrown haphazardly along her chi. A light gleams behind her eyelids, and a sense of calmness fills with in her. Her nose catches a wiff of jasmine and lavender.

Her mind freezes, and her heart jumps as she comes across a path of broken, shattered chi. Her mind conjures up a casem to far for her to jump. One piece of her chi is fragmented and jagged. She mentally runs her hand over the break; sharp points prick her skin, but she does not bleed.

All she has to do is mend the break, and all her problems will be fixed. No more frequent losses of her bending ability. How does one grow new chi? Does it have to grow back naturally with time or is she allowed to create the section herself?

On the outside, her lips flip into a wide smile, and her fingers start to click together in harmony.

Inside, she concentrates, picturing the path mending in her mind. Her teeth scrape her bottom lip as she grunts from the strain placed on her mental state. Katara brings her arms close to her chest and then pushes them outwards with as much force as she can muster. She imagines a sparkling ray of golden chi shooting out of finger tips.

When Katara mentally opens her eyes to assess her work, she is pleasantly surprised to see a new section, a little more vibrant than the rest, laid out in front of her.

Yue's voice comes from somewhere inside of her, Katara, _what have you done?_

* * *

Her chocolate curls fall over her shoulders in a wave as she aggressively pulls the tangled ribbon from her hair. Her fingers snag on a loose thread which unravels the already frayed ribbon in her hands. Katara groans and lets the pile of thread fall to her clothes.

Katara submerges herself in the water, allowing the cold, refreshing liquid to wash over her. She breaks the surface, the water running off her face and from her eyes. She swims over to the edge of the river to grab a rag, finally scrubbing herself clean after days of laying in her filf.

A crinkle of leaves is heard, the sharp cracks filtering their way into Katara's ears. She drops her rag back to the edge of the rock as she sees Zuko come into view. She self consciously crosses her arms over her chest, only to remember she has kept her sarashi on her for this reason.

Katara wonder if he is worried, if his heart raced out of its regular beat when he found her mat emptied of her curled body. He doesn't know she went to bathe. Katara didn't want to wake him again, not after she frightened him with her humming, glowing skin after she mended her chi.

Maybe he isn't worried for her anymore; maybe his patience for her has finally run dry, and he doesn't care where she wanders off to now.

Zuko still hasn't seen her as she is hidden behind the rocks. Before Katara has a chance to look away, he throws his shirt to the ground in one swift motion. His skin stretches over his ribs as he lifts his arms. Zuko is thin, but his muscles are still visable.

Katara blushes, turning around before she can see if he took off anything else. She bites her lip, trying to decide whether to retreat out of the river to save both of them from an awkward encounter or not.

The river is big enough for the two of them, and she is a big girl. It's not like she will see him naked anyways.

Something hits her back, hard. She jumps at the sudden collision, knocking the rag to the water's surface. She mutters a curse as her hand gropes for the rag already sinking to the bottom of the river.

"Oh, sorry Katara. I didn't know you were... here."

Her eyes widen at his voice but soon scolds herself for feeling surprised. Who else would it have been? And she prays, as she starts to shift her body in the water to turn around, that he is wearing trousers or some sort of covering.

Please Tui and La, Katara prays, if you're listening...

Zuko is wading through the water, backing away before she has the chance to whack him. He is still wearing his brown trousers, and Katara releases a sigh of relief. The air is warm around her, she can feel his body temperature rising as his face is a shade of red across his proclin features.

Zuko is staring back at her his eyes downcast to the water's surface.

His hair is wet as if he had taken a quick dunk. His black hair shines in the sun, the droplets sparkle as they drip down his chin. Over the weeks she has spent with Zuko, she is surprised to only now notice how his hair has grown longer, the wet strands now brushing the top of his scar. It looks shorter when dried.

"I'm sorry," he says suddenly. "I disturbed you. I-I'll leave now." His blush is still present, and Katara believes the hue only deepens as neither party moves.

Her tongue is locked in her mouth, prisoned by her teeth, unable to help form syllables. She grinds her teeth together in frustration. Katara wonders, as the seconds pass, if she has to dismiss him. Zuko seems to be shell shocked; Katara doesn't know if she finds this cute or ridiculously annoying.

It is not like _she_ is naked. For La's shake, he even helped her out with her moon cycle. And _nothing_ could be more embarrassing than that landmark event in their mutual friendship. Katara clears her throat in a non subtle way. The cough is loud enough to jar Zuko from whatever thought that had glazed over his eyes and departed his mind from the present situation.

Zuko blinks twice before recognition dawns on his features. The blush spreads to his ears. Katara almost misses the old, forceful and abrasive Zuko. Her eyes are able to roam over his figure and face, as he again tries to comprehend the situation, she realizes that forgotten personality of his was a mask. A mask that has been deconstructed over the past few weeks into the shy, stuttering boy before her.

Katara realizes she has done that. She has dug under his skin and chipped away the pieces. She knows there are still some left, fragments scattered throughout him, and she wants to exploit them. She has been itching for a fight ever since she fixed her bending only a day ago.

Katara wants to feel the power coursing through her veins and the tingling in her bones. Her tongue is released from prison. "There's plenty of room for both of us to.. uh bathe. It will save time since we'll have to keep moving soon."

Zuko shakes his head; he isn't able to look Katara in the eye. "I-I should be going." _Again_ is the unspoken word hanging in the air.

He trudges his way out of the water, not bothering to dry himself off before he pulls his shirt back on. The material sticks to his skin, shadowing his muscles. Katara's hopes fall suddenly at losing the prospect of a sparring partner. He heats his trousers, drying them off with each step. She watches the steam rise off of the material.

Katara places her hands on her hips. Her mouth parts; her tongue has again found its taunting spark. "Are you pig-chicken?"

Zuko stops trudging up the hill, his back stiffens. He too has his spark ignited.

If there is one thing Katara had learned from traveling with two boys, it is that they hated to be called pig-chicken. No matter how old or how _princely_ they were, they could never handle being called pig-chicken.

"Fine." He growls out, taking back off his shirt, throwing it down to where it had laid before.

A piece has resurfaced.

He wades through the water, dragging his feet across the bottom sand. Katara has a triumphant smirk on her face.

Before she has time to react, her smirk is wiped away by a wave of water splashing her in the face, causing her to stumble. Her mouth fills with water, and she spits the liquid out before she swallows. Katara picks the wet strands of her hair out of her eyes as it clings to her prominent cheekbones to see Zuko with a glowing smile on his face.

Her eyes burn with a silent challenge. Her lips quirk up into a smirk.

"It was a bad idea to get in a splashing contest with a waterbender."

"Don't worry. All of your fighting techniques is just you splashing around. I think I can handle myself."

"Don't get too cocky." Fury burns inside her.

With a dramatic spread of her arms, the water in front of her rises up, cutting her off from Zuko. A flick of her hands sends the wave to Zuko's general area. It splashes down, some of the water hits the grass, soaking the surrounding vegetation.

When the water settles, and the ripples clear there is no sign of Zuko. No bubbles to suggest he is under water.

The hairs on the back of her neck tingle. She ducks as she side steps, just missing a fireball to the back. The air heats up around her, steam rising off the water where the fireball had landed.

"I know you're here." Katara takes a defensive stance in the water. The water laps at her undergarments. He can't hide for ever. Risking the disadvantage, Katara closes her eyes, opening up her other senses. The smell of smoke hangs in the air, the wind picking up the fire's scent and blowing it all around her.

She pushes her mind to dig deeper, pushing past the burnt scent. She searches for any disturbances in the water, a ripple caused by any movement. The river is at a stand still, it's power at her command. Her head whips around. She feels it. A tiny lap of water hitting her thigh, the source originating from behind the rock.

A smile blooms on her face. "Now the fun begins."

Opening her eyes, she whips her hands around. She brings up string of water, forming it into an ice shard. With her other hand she brings up a wall of water for protection later on. She flings the ice shard in the direction of the disturbance, now noticeable by Zuko's long strides breaking paths through the current.

He dodges it, sending another bolt of fire, only for it to be turned into steam by her shield. The ice shard impales itself into the tree, turning into water as her control of it lessens.

Fire daggers preturd from his hands as he fights off her water whips.

The push and pull of the river's water increases. Water starts to splash over and onto the banks. The current quickens, pulling branches and rocks, once stuck, with it.

As her hold on the water deepens, the current becomes worse. The sudden rush of water, almost knocking Zuko off his feet, stops his defense.

Water rises from the surface. Small globs form, staying suspended in the thick air. Water surrounds them, raising higher and higher. The current is still swift, threatening to bring anything that stands in its path with it.

Zuko digs his feet into the sand, trying not to be pushed off of his feet. His arms jerk up as if the blood in his system is trying to join it's comrades in the air. He lets his inner fire burn bright trying to release the hold she has over him. With a grunt he brings his arms down, only to bring them back up to shield his face from the water that has started to whip through the air.

"Katara what are you doing?" he yells over the roar of the river. Wind slaps his exposed skin as she makes a mini water strom. Ice chunks pelt his bare back; water stings his eyes.

Katara's eyes glaze over, her arms are level with her shoulders. The current cuts a path around her legs. The water circles around her, faster and faster as it starts to pick up speed.

An ice shard slams into Zuko's face, creating a slight gash on his unmarred cheek. The gash, wide enough to need stitches, starts to drip hot, metallic blood. As soon as the blood trickles down his cheek, it floats into the air, forming dark red globs alongside the water. One hand lifts to touch his cheek as he tries to call to her again.

His voice is hoarse, and it catches on the last word. "Katara stop this n-ow!"

Hearing Zuko's cry, her eyes refocus, shedding their distant gaze. With a scream from bubbling up in the pit of Katara's chest and echos with ferocity, the water settles in mid air; the current falls silent. In a sudden whoosh, the water and blood fall back into the river. The current subsides to its normal speed, drifting lazily around his legs, no longer angrily pricking at his skin.

Katara drops her arms, suddenly feeling light headed as she staggers to stay upright.

Zuko rushes forward to Katara. "What were you doing?" He is hesitant to speak.

"I-I don't know." Her hand goes up to touch his cheek with the gash; she should heal it later. "Did I do that?"

"Katara!"

Her eyes roll back into her head as she loses consciousness.

* * *

 **It has been far to long. I'm so sorry; I hope you all enjoyed this chapter though.**

 **Awkward Zuko is my favorite:)**

 **And yes, Katara started to bloodbend.**

 **I wrote the end of this chapter before I even finished the first chapter so I'm happy to finally share it with you guys. Sorry for the impromptu Zuko's POV in the middle. There was no way around it.**

 **See you in December!**

 **Please Review/Follow/Favorite:)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA**

 **Thanks to Ravynne Queene of Glasse, guest, The Congressman, mkmkmk, Flutterby Rose, and JourneyRocks13 for reviewing:)**

* * *

"Do you remember anything that happened?" Zuko scoots closer to her. Katara slept through the night, and now dawn is upon her again.

"I remember fighting. I remember the push and pull of the current." She shakes her head. "I don't remember anything afterwards."

The slice on his cheek has started to close up, but the surrounding edges are still crusted with dried blood. She can heal him, if she trusts her bending. Her head lowers to the ground in shame.

"Did I hurt you anywhere else?" Katara's eyes catching the flicker of the flames.

His mouth is set in a straight line. "No."

"I'm really sorry."

"I know," he says softly.

But there is still an arm's length between them. He hasn't moved closer.

"I've been losing my bending more and more, and after I mended my chi energy... I had all the power in the world; my bending was at its peak. I don't know what is happening to me anymore," she admits. Katara wants to scold herself for crying, but tears still leak out of her eyes. She can taste the salt as she licks them from the corner of her mouth.

Zuko is too silent, long enough for Katara to relize there will be no comfort coming from him. But when he lifts his head, his golden eyes are firey. He is nervous for her.

"Do you think that if you start bending again... you'll go off?"

 _Go off._ It sounds like she belongs in a mental institution. Will she? Probably. "There is a strong possibility."

"Do- do you still have my dagger?"

Her hand reaches into her right boot, clutching the hilt of the dagger. Katara pulls it free to show him. "Would you like it back?"

"No, no I was just going to suggest that you keep it. Don't use your bending anymore." Zuko watches her face twist into a scowl as her furry builds from his order. He rushes to amend his statement. "I mean until we figure out what's wrong, which means until we find my uncle," _or the Avatar._ He does not voice the last part.

"It's probably for the best." She lifts her eyes to his right cheek; the gash is still a startling red against his pale skin. "At least let me heal you." But she doesn't move to bend water.

His hand brushes over the puckering skin. "It will be okay."

"It may scar."

Zuko's eyes snap to hers. He barks out a humorless laugh. "I can _easily_ live with that."

They're plodding through the forest, and Katara hasn't spoken to him since blush had crept onto her cheeks with her _stupid_ comment. His posture is straight and stiff as he steadily walks ahead of her. Zuko's strides are too long; Katara lightly jogs to keep up with his pace. She scared him with her freak bending, and he may still be reeling from her naivety.

Her nose crunches into the pack slung across his shoulders.

"Looks like we're coming up to a village," Zuko says pointing at the carved lettering into the tree.

Katara rolls her eyes. "I'm not illiterate." She did miss the obvious signs though. The cleared forest path; the arrows carved into the thicker trees; the red characters painted on the tree: _Taira-Mura 1 mile_

He looks down. "I never said you were."

She doesn't comment. "Do you think your uncle will be here?"

"No," he says with such certainty. Katara's face drops in a frown. "But we need to rest somewhere where Azula won't look. A small secluded forest village should be safe enough."

From her place beside Zuko, she is to short to see the end of the village over the thatched roofs, but from the amount of people Katara already sees, it has to be large. A smaller village would have been safer, but Zuko is already walking onto the main path to the center of the village.

Katara's fingers twitch, and she can't control the constant shaking of her arms. Her hands cease their trembling as quickly as it had came. She gasps when her chest contracts, momentarily losing air.

Most of the villagers are walking around them now. She receives widening eyes as the occupants set their gaze on them, the strangers. Her eyes flicker to their bodies; the twitching has returned. Mothers veer their children away from Katara's path. One older gentlemen whispers to another of his age, touching under his nose and discreetly pointing in Katara's direction.

Without command, her finger is dabbing the skin beneath her nose. Her breath hitches again when the pads of her fingers are stained with red blood. She rubs the blood between her fingers; it has a silky quality to it. Her tongue tastes blood as it runs like water into her open mouth from her nose.

Zuko has not turned around but keeps marching forward.

"Z-Lee, I t-think something's wrong. I-"

She can suddenly feel everybody's heartbeat. Their blood pumping through their veins. She can feel, she can see, Zuko's steady heart beat as he keeps his head lowered while they walk further into Taira-Mura. She can feel his heartbeat spike when Katara's feet waver from under her and a villager's screams alert him to the fact. His heartbeat spikes, hanging onto her words.

A scream rips from her lungs.

She puts her hands to her ears, trying to block out the sound of the multiple pumping hearts.

That constant bump bump. From everywhere and everything. That constant bump bump. Coming closer and closer as she tries to walk further and further away.

Her hands clamp down harder on her ears, her nails digging into the soft flesh. The sound still rings through her. Katara wants to rip her ears off of her head. If only to make the noise stop.

Blood trickles into the crevices of her fingernails.

Bump bump.

Katara closes her eyes, as if that would help block out the sound.

Foot steps walk closer. She can feel the blood running through the veins in his legs. She is seeing colors in the darkness. But Katara can only see red and the paths it travels. His steps spark a pulse of blood moving away from his heart. She follows the path; she follows the path of the blood back to the beating hearts of hundreds.

Katara's eyes squeeze tighter. Her feet wobble.

Viens outline his figure and the beating of his heart at his core.

There is a rush of blood in her ears as she lets out a silent scream. Her knees fold in on her. She hits the dirt in a dull thud, billowing dust up into her nose and hair.

* * *

Zuko can't breath. He can't breath because he doesn't know if Katara has just died. His eyes flicker frantically over the gathering crowd. He can't focus on the small rise and fall of her chest. But when Zuko's eyes catch the small and almost invisible movement, there is still no relief. Zuko's arms are dragging her off the ground, resting her head on his thigh.

"Please, someone help her!" His eyes are wide and frantic. His heart pumps against his chest, and his breathing is too fast. Too fast and black dots blink in and out of his vision.

He hasn't had a panic attack since he was thirteen when his world was burning down around him. Why start now? "Please! Can someone help h-er!?" Zuko's voice cracks, and he believes he is whispering. Blood covers her mouth as it continues to trickle from her nose. Katara's ears are leaking red as well.

Her body drags against the support of his arms. He has to sit her body back on the ground as she slowly becomes dead weight, to much for his fatigued arms. Her agonizing moans haunt his ears.

"Please!" He's screeching now because there is nothing left to do. A crowd of people surround them but no one will move.

Their bodies shuffle slightly as mummers make their way through the crowd of people. Disbelieving eyes are drawn to her semi comatose form.

A woman quietly parts from the crowd, slowly walking over to where he stands. Zuko easily dwarfs her. As the woman comes closer, he notices she is more fragile than a bird with her bony frame, short stature, and gaunt cheeks. The whole village is starving; it makes him feel ashamed. The woman's appearance is deceiving to what her eyes tell. The dark brown is fierce and determined; her lips do not quiver as she glares at him and the whispers of the crowd. And she touches Katara's neck without his permission.

He almost barks at her until he realizes she is feeling for a pulse. The village's physician then.

"We need to move her to my house," the women says softly. Then she turns to growl at the remaining crowd, and they dissipate with little mumbling. She has more power than Zuko originally thought.

Katara is cradled against his chest as he briskly walks behind the woman as they pass rows and rows of shacks and patched up houses before they get to hers. A little girl's head pops up in the window; Zuko tries not to send the child a menacing glare when he hears her exciting chatter through the thin walls.

The physician opens the door, rushing him in. "Take her up stairs. Put her in the first room you see. I'll be up shortly."

The bed he finds in the small room is made out of straw, and the pillow is nothing more than a sack stuffed with pig-chicken feathers and sewn closed. There are no blankets but a simple wooden chair and chest in the corner. The window is open.

Zuko gently lays Katara down on the mattress, brushing stray hairs away from her mouth. The starns are sticky with blood. Underneath her eyelids, he catches movement of her eyes frantically moving back and forth. There is nothing Zuko can do for her.

He opens the door, ready to yell at the woman to hurry when he sees her running up the stairs with a tray of various bottles and food. A blanket is tucked under arm. Zuko doesn't offer his help as the bottles menacingly teater towards the edge.

"Have her drink this," the woman says once the tray is placed on the chest and the blanket draped over Katara's legs.

The liquid sloshes against the side of the dark bottle as Zuko twirls it around. He uncorks the concoction; it smells of lavender. "What is it?"

"It's a tonic. Should help ease the pain if she feels any." The woman hands him another bottle. "This one should help slow any bleeding."

"If they don't work?" But he is already tipping one of the bottles into Katara's mouth and forcing her to swallow. Katara mutters but Zuko can't catch what she says. Katara falls asleep again.

"Then you should find another healer. By the way, you should start from the beginning." The woman fixes a glare onto him. She grips a wet cloth as she starts to clean Katara's face.

"What?"

"Young man, I am not going to be much help to you if I have no clue what happened to your friend. She does not look visibly injured but is obviously not alright."

Zuko pinches the bridge of his nose, deciding how much to divulge to the woman. "Do you have any love for the Fire Nation?"

"You mean the scum who stole away many of the men from this village when they went to war for the Earth Kingdom? No."

Zuko wants to shield his golden eyes. "Do you have any experience with bending?"

She nods. "I'm an earthbender, and my oldest daughter is too."

"Well, uh.. She got overpowered by her element. I'm not sure how, but it must be too powerful for her to control now. I think it's killing her."

"Young ma-

"Lee."

"Lee, both of your features are not of the Earth Kingdom descent. Can I take a guess that she is a waterbender?"

He gulps, giving her his answer.

She places a hand on his shoulder, but has to tilt her head to see his face. "I'm Jaya. I have no love for the Fire Nation, but it seems like they haven't treated you well either. You are safe here. I do not know how much I will be able to help her, but I will help her stay comfortable."

"My-y Uncle used to say that all of the elements are connected so if you have any knowledge of earthbending that would help..." He wrings his hands together, unable to finish his sentence.

"I will try my best, Lee. Now I think it is time that you got some rest. You can sleep downstai-"

"The chair will be fine."

Jaya sighs. "Alright. I will come check on her in awhile." She pats him one more time on the shoulder before closing the door.

"Yue, help me." Her moaning pleas jostle Zuko awake. He stirs in the chair and the blanket that had been draped over his body flutters to the floor.

The window frame clatters against the wall as a strong breeze pushes against it. Crickets chirp outside, and Zuko has to rub his eyes as fog rolls in over the window sill.

Katara has fallen silent.

The mist continues to collect at his feet; tendrils hook onto his leg and then are blown away. The wooden floor is now white. He is not sure if he is still dreaming. Zuko's fingers dance on his skin, pricking his arm as they move upward. The fog does not vanish; red marks blossom on his skin.

The crickets stop their songs, and the mist dissipates.

The spirit floats in from the air, with the ends of her white dress trailing behind her. A broad brim hat shadows her eyes, though Zuko is able to catch flashes of blue. Red markings litter her shoulders and face. A strip of red hangs down from her lips like dripping blood, and other red markings curl around her cheeks. From under the hat, the spirit peers up at him. Her blue eyes search over his figure with disdain.

Zuko crosses his arms across his chest, his permanent scowl present, but his heart is beating to fast. "Who are you?"

The spirit's feet do not touch the floor as she walks closer to him and closer to the sleeping body of Katara. His eyes trace the spirit's line of sight, quickly blocking the spirit's path to her body. "Who are you?" he asks again.

"You should so more respect, boy. Not all spirits are forgiving. If you must know, to put your heart at ease, I am the Painted Lady."

"From Fire Nation legends."

"They are not legends. And I mean no harm to your lover-"

Zuko's eyes harden. He is in no mood to be poliet. "We're not lovers, barely even friends."

"Hmm. What a pity." The Painted Lady brings her eyes from Katara's form partially hidden behind Zuko and back to him.

"I am here on a favor from Yue. I was supposed to talk to the girl but it seems like she is indisposed. I guess you will have to do." Her voice drips with contempt.

"I'm no messenger." He tries to glare at the spirit, but her eyes brighten. Zuko has to look away.

The Painted Lady clicks her tongue and continues. "Too much power is filtering through her mortal body. Her form is to weak. When she wakes she will have to deal with this. Her senses will be heightened; she will be linked to every water source near her, including people, just as the first waterbender was."

"The moon?" he asks.

"Yes, the moon has always been connected to the ocean. It is why the tides recede but flow back again every day and night."

Zuko leans over and brushes a loose lock of hair away from Katara's lips. "The power will not overwhelm her then?"

"Oh, it will, at first. She will have to learn to control herself and her new power. This girl has always had a special connection to the spirits. But she should not have tried to mend her chi by herself. It unlocked a portion of power not seen for many centuries in waterbenders. The spirits have chosen her to carry this burden. They believe she is too valuable to kill. Besides, the spirits have been waiting for a good play to be put on by mortals."

"I'm not an actor. I do not perform for the whimsical needs of others."

"Careful, boy. The spirits have already saved you once, from Zhao and the pirate-"

"When my ship blew up."

"Yes. You have been under the protection of the Blue Spirit for quite sometime, though I cannot fathom why. Though, his charges are usually not as handsome as you. " Her fingers brush the outline of his jaw. He tries to jerk away but her fingernails dig into his skin. "You shouldn't feel bad; everyone is a pawn, an actor. Don't pretend you are special, son of Agni."

She vanishes in a cold of mist, leaving behind the lingering scent of a summer breeze on the ocean. Those blue eyes burn into his memory, boasting the uncanny resemblance to the girl laying still behind him.

* * *

 **I didn't expect this chapter to be so long! I thought it was high time you got some explanation. I was orginally going to have Yue be the one that tells Zuko since she had been present in Katara's dream, but I really wanted the Painted Lady to do it. So Zuko's reaction to what happened to Katara in the village may be a little ooc, but I figured if he saw her go beserk one day and colapse the next, he would be freaked.**

 **Happy Holidays everyone:)**

 **Do you think we can get to a hundred reviews?**

 **Please Review/Follow/Favorite:)**

 **PS. HAPPY ZUTARA MONTH**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own atla.**

 **Thanks to Evile Ravynne Queene of Glasse, Corkrose, Zutarafan1992, BrightWatcher, Zutaraxxx, The Congressman, LovinZuko, mkmkmk, JourneyRocks13, Guest, and Zutara1267 for reviewing:)**

 **A special thanks to The Congressman for being the 100th reviewer:)**

* * *

"The Painted Lady spoke to me last night."

Her brow furrows in confusion. It has only been a couple of hours since she woke to him fretting over her, coaxing water down her throat. It stung. "Who's-"

"A Fire Nation spirit." Zuko waves away her question since it holds no importance. "She told me what was wrong with you."

Katara's eyes widen as he recalls the previous night's encounter. Katara could tell that he spoke in the spirit's exact words; he didn't falter once. Dread soon sets into her bones. She caused their predicament; it is her fault and her fault only.

"W-what kind of power did I unlock?"

Zuko shakes his head. "The Painted Lady didn't specify. But you should take it easy; you may overload your system again."

"I don't want to be dangerous. If I am a problem, maybe it would have been best if they took me away to their world."

His hands grip her shoulders, and suddenly his golden eyes are the only thing she can see. "Don't you dare say that ever again! Never think like that!" Zuko is breathing heavily, and his scolding has startled her, but his grip keeps her from running and hiding. "You are not disposable."

It's like looking into miniature suns.

Once he calms down, he continues to speak. "You're strong Katara. Stronger than my sister; even stronger than the Avatar. You will get through this bump in your life, and I will help you."

"How can you help me?"

"Firebending is all about control. This is what you need to learn now."

"I want to try to learn new techniques too," she argues. She will not be treated like a child who just discovered their element.

Zuko's hand drifts to the scabbing gash on his cheek, as if caught in a memory. "We should start at the basics first."

"I have the power Zuko. I need to use it in the fight against the Fire Nation and your family."

Katara gives him credit for not flinching at her words; Zuko doesn't even look mad. He almost seems to have a proud glint swimming in his eyes from her words. It vanishes when his eyes soften.

"Did you ever hear what I said that night when you fell asleep in my arms?" The tenderness in his voice has her peering at him. There was only one night when that had happened, when she stayed locked to his warmth.

Katara had fallen asleep to silence, so she shakes her head no, a questioning frown on her face.

"I don't wa.. It doesn't matter, but I will help you anyway I can."

It matters to him; she can tell by the shadow in his eyes. What ever he said to her was important, important enough to change his drive and his ragged personality. "You don't wa what?" Katara plasters on a fake smile to ease Zuko's confession.

"Drop it Katara. I'll tell you later." Walls spring up in front of her face, walls that haven't been maintained for a long time.

Two steps forwards, one step back.

Her delicate fingers reach the puckered skin on his right cheek before he has time to pull away. "I really wish you would let me heal it."

"No!" The forcefulness of his words have them echoing in their tiny room. Katara's heart and hand plument; Zuko starts to backpedal. "Uh.. I mean no thank you, and you really should rest."

She can't look at him, deciding the cracks in the plastered wall are more interesting. "I'm a monster, Zuko."

"No, you're not."

"To you maybe not, but I still see the fear in your eyes." Katara snaps her piercing gaze back to him. "It's why you won't let me heal you." Her hands lift to cup his chin. Zuko has a delicate look in his eyes; she wonders if her own are fractured beyond all recognition. "You want to back away, don't you?"

Zuko's eyes harden, and suddenly his nose brushes hers; their lips could touch but don't. Katara is on his lap, and his hand is pressing into her back, pitching her forward so she has to balance herself by placing a hand on each of his shoulders. Her hair brushes his cheek. A gasp is stuck in her throat.

"I am not afraid of you. Yes, you freaked me out; yes, I have no clue how to help. But I am not afraid of you, and I never will. I trust you Katara; you would never hurt me if it wasn't necessary."

* * *

Jaya clatters her ceramic plates together as she cleans up from her family's dinner. No food is left on the plates, and she has to smile at the thought of her children not going hungry for once.

"Mom," her oldest child Daruka starts, "why are we helping fugitives?"

He comes over to the water basin, shadowing the question from his sisters. Daruka is taller than Jaya. towering over her brittle form. His light brown hair, a coloring he got from his father, glimmers in the rapidly fading sun. Her son got everything from his father; Daruka doesn't resemble her in any feature. But she knows he wished he was blessed with earthbending, a trait her late husband did not posses.

"We don't know that they're fugitives."

He grunts, taking the plates away from her tired hands. "How do you know they're not?"

"Daruka, the girl is hurt and in need of our help. Don't you dare do anything stupid. Don't go near them either."

He pushes past Jaya, heading out the door to read the latest bulletins. "Don't worry, I don't want to go anywhere near Fire Nation scum."

Jaya groans, her hand dragging down her face. She needs to teach her son manners.

"Mommy, is everything alright?"

Jaya's skirts swish around her ankles as she turns to her youngest child. Her child's brown eyes are huge, and her lips are trembling. "What's wrong baby?"

She hugs her stuffed platypus bear closer to her chest, and she raises a stubby finger to point at the ceiling. The teacups on the table rattle.

A crash shakes the crumbling walls of the house. The two housed upstairs had been quiet for a better part of the day, but now something is wrong. Unintelligible shouts filter down the stairs. A scream has both Jaya and her daughters flinching.

Jaya's mind wanders to the worst possible situation as she races up the stairs. But in her heart she knows Lee would not have tried to take advantage of his friend.

Besides, the scream was not from the girl.

* * *

The grassy meadow with the morning dew sparkling in the sun is the only thing she can see until he sits beside her. He's glowing, and everything he touches turns to ash. The grass she sits in is a luscious green, giving her memories that were not formed in a snowy landscape.

The burning grass is mesmerizing to watch, and a small smile is tugging its way onto her face. When Katara looks up at his face she notices his hair has grown out; the ends of his black hair now graze his chin. He wears a red and gold sleeveless vest. Sweat drips down his chest.

"Are you alright?" Her words are gunked together, and it hurts to move her mouth.

"I'm perfect." He gives her a toothy smile.

Her hand trembles, and she has to wet a parched mouth. " _I_ don't feel alright."

"That's a shame. And here I thought you would want to spend the rest of the morning with me."

She laughs, and he continues to smile. "You're not wrong. Can we just lay here for awhile? The grass is so soft."

"Whatever my princess commands."

When he lays down, smoke rises from the grass below. Blackness seeps out from under him, but it does not interfere with the green vegetation surrounding her.

"I have a question."

His eyes are closed, his breathing shallow. "I'm listening."

"How hot can your fire get?"

His eyes snap open to find her staring at his open hand. Flames trickle into his palm as he watches her fascination. "We should find out."

"What do y-"

His palm encircles her wrist, and her skin melts from the intensity of his fire. It drips off her bones like water; soon even her bones blacken with charred ash. And he stays there with his fire slowly engulfing both of them, laughing until they are both charred.

"Ahhh!" The cold sweat dripping off of her when she opens her eyes does nothing to ease her racing heart. The blankets are twisted around Katara. Her shirt has risen up past her waist, exposing smooth brown skin that should be puckered with a scar from a long forgotten fire blast.

Her body still hurts like it is being engulfed by flames.

Katara doesn't mean to harm him when she regains full control of her body once the remnants of sleep is gone. But the room is bathed in darkness, and he has to light a small flame in his palm to see. The red hue jumps in her wavering eyes; her heart pounds with each second. Her skin is burning, and she tries to tackle him to the ground.

Zuko is too strong, and his knee gently rests on her stomach instead, and his light has been estinguesd to hold down her failing arms. Her foot catches him in the shin. He might bruise later, but now he stays stoic.

"Katara! Stop it. What's wrong?" Her nails dig into his skin.

Katara spits in his face; it lands on his nose. "You tried to kill me, you asshole. But it didn't work, and now I'm going to kill you."

In Zuko's surprise, the strength of the hold on her hands weakens. He grits his teeth and clenches his eyes shut because he's in pain. Veins show through his skin; blood trickles from his mouth and nose. The tips of his fingers turn white as if the color has been erased.

He screams, and blood drips onto her face. Katara pushes him off of her; he rolls to the far wall, wheezing. Color returns to his skin.

Zuko is still screaming inside her head. Katara pounds and pounds and pounds her temple; it won't stop. Is he alive? She can't hear anything other than his screams.

Boots clomp up the stairs; a woman is in the room; a little girl hides behind her legs, and she tries to shoo her child back down stairs.

The little girl made the mistake of bring up a cup of tea.

The liquid from the tea forms into ice daggers clutched in her hands. Her vision turns red, and every other color seeps from the room and out the window. She can feel the woman's trembling body and the correct artery to block in order to put this poor creature to sleep. Its offspring will be next.

He's back now, and gold replaces the red. She is sagging against his body as the tea stains her hands as it melts back into a harmless beverage. Her lips try to form audible words. "I'm sorry." Two words that do not compare to the apology she has to make.

"I know." His raspy voice does not soothe her nerves.

 _What the hell did I do to him?_

She is truly a monster now, even in his eyes.

* * *

 **Yap, that was bloodbending.**

 **It's a short chapter but hopefully still enjoyable. First update of 2016, and I hope you all are having a Happy New Year. I decided to update this week since I'm on vacation (though for only two more days).**

 **The next few chapters you will get to see more of Jaya and her family and just how the village operates in general. I think it will help open Zuko's eyes just a little bit more. I think I'll be adding in more Zuko POVs too.**

 **Check out No Victor. It's a new oneshot I wrote set in the American Civil War.**

 **Please Review/Favorite/Follow:)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

 **Thanks to Evile Ravynne Queene of Glasse, Corkrose, InsanityIsClarity, LovinZuko, JourneyRocks13, Zutara1267, The Congressman, Zutarafan1992, and IsabelTheCool for reviewing:)**

* * *

He and Azula used to hide under the sheets when their parents' screaming match exceeded the space of their bedroom next door. It was before they found out Azula was going to be a prodigy firebender. It was before his parents even realized Zuko was going to be a firebender.

They had been arguing about him. They were always arguing about him.

This was the first and last time he saw Azula cry. She stuffed her small fists into her eyes thinking that would block the waterflow. It only took him a second to wrap his arm around her small body. Azula was three at the time, a year before she would start sparking.

"Daddy is saying mean things about you," she said through her whimpers.

"H-he doesn't mean them."

His room is cold, the fire having died and no one in the room to relight it. Zuko draped the blankets over her as she snuggled into him for protection. He had felt like a big brother.

"When I'm older, I'll protect you from him. I promise." He smiled at her sincerity, and together they fell asleep to their parents' voices.

The mask gives him a familiar weight of confidence as he shuffles across the branch in complete silence. Zuko is a shadow and makes a conscious effort to keep away from the harsh glow of his sister's camp fire.

He left Katara alone after that _incident_ , after she lulled herself to sleep with her whimpers. She had lost all moral sense in that one instant, and Zuko finds himself wanting to, needing to, get away from her to collect his thoughts.

But he will not feel afraid of her.

Zuko's feet, after hours of wandering, had led him to his sister's base of operations. Red tents are pitched around trees and bushes, anywhere where a flat surface is available. His eyes blink as he watches Ty Lee parade around on her hands. Mai sits by the fire twirling a dagger, switching each hand periodically; her back is to him. Azula stands by the table set up in the middle of their temporary camp. Maps and scrolls with the Fire Lord's seal are spread out over the wood surface. He's too far away to read the script, but the map of the Earth Kingdom is at a perfect angle.

A red marker depicting a black flame is drawn on the picture of Ba Sing Se and New Ozai, along with various other settlements. He shudders as he watches the Fire Nation conquer the Earth Kingdom when Azula lights a green marker on fire, the last one on the map.

The branch he leans on creeks under his weight, and Azula's head snaps upward in his direction. A curse is softly whispered into his mask as Zuko hops down to reveal himself. It is far better than being smoked out.

"We seem to have a spy in our miss, the infamous Blue Spirit." Azula's sharp voice draws everyone's attention. Guards and soldiers equally react, drawing swords and spears and loghting their fists on fire.

Azula's two friends come to stand behind her, each stationed on either side. Ty Lee's fists are already up, preparing to chi block him once someone makes the first move. Mai continues to stare at him with bored eyes, a stiletto twirling around her index finger.

There is no way Zuko is leaving without some sort of fight. His Dao blades clack together as he releases them from their scarab. His black gloves grip the leather hilt, and he continues to stare at his sister through the eye slits of his mask. His swords are no match for her fire, but Zuko will try not lose, again.

He is not afraid.

Azula flicks a piece of black hair out of her eyes. It falls right back into place. "Who are you, the person behind your mask I mean?"

Zuko refuses to answer. Her fire grazes his blue mask, singeing the white tips, but his feet quickly drag him away before any serious damage could be accomplished.

His right blade deflects multiple stilettos, and his body avades a precise punch in the arm.

"Mai, Ty Lee. Back off; this one is mine."

Zuko should be honored. He never received this much attention from Azula when they were living together.

Her blue fire blazes around him, and his steel steams with contact.

Zuko's blades whip through the air, creating an arc. The steel clangs on her arm guards raised above her head. Azula's eyes are molten lava, her mouth turned down in a frown and her bangs brushing against her face.

With a yell, Azula kicks him in the stomach sending Zuko into a tree. His back makes a sickening crack, and his mask muffles a groan. The ground is now charred and blackened. Fire still roars around him.

Azula's body standing over his hunched form hides any view of her guards watching this humiliation.

Her head is tilted down, her mouth twisted in a snarl. "I don't know who you are, but I will find out."

She walks closer to him, as if getting ready to kick Zuko in the stomach, but he swings his leg out, knocking her to the ground. She backflips, shooting blue fire out of her feet. The bark catches fire as Zuko rolls away to avoid the blast. Azula narrows her eyes at his crouched form, and he realizes that maybe kicking her legs out from under her was not the best solution.

They had trained together too many times for her not to get an inkling of an idea. Azula had cornered him too many times; he had used a similar move too many times. But Zuko charges her with spinning broad swords. The one thing Azula is ignorant about is his mastery with duel Dao blades, something he had always kept hidden from her. Zuko had made sure that he looked like a bumbling fool when he gripped his swords around her in the palace.

Her mocking laugh still rings in his ears.

Zuko cuts through her fire with his swords. His body spins, and his feet move quickly like an airbender's. Blue fire grazes his arm, and his eyes harden. His skin stings, but the pain will fade soon. Zuko's gaze catches her perfect form, and his body freezes.

Her lightning shatters the tree behind him, and Zuko decides it is time to make a hasty retreat.

* * *

The Blue Spirit runs, sprinting through the trees and disappearing into the shadows where the light of Azula's fire won't find him.

She turns her head to find Ty Lee bouncing to her side, her long braid flying behind her. "Why'd you let him go, Azula?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Mai's bored tone is more morose than usual. "He's not worth our time."

"I wouldn't put it that way," Azula says, tapping two fingers against her chin. "I'll get him in the end, but now we have more important developments to worry about." She snaps her fingers; a younger soldier hurriedly runs to her side, not wanting to keep his princess waiting.

"What can I do for you, m'lady?" he asks, bowing low at the waist, his eyes not looking up at her face.

"Follow the masked man."

"Of course, my princess." The young soldier daringly lifts his head to gaze at her sharp features. "H-how lo-"

Azula's gaze freezes on the soldier. "Spit it out!"

"How long shall I trail him?"

One of her pointed fingernail traces his jawline, pricking his skin along the way. She grabs a handful of his brown hair, forcing his head to arch back and eyes to stay focus on hers. "You will trail him until your feet are too bloody for you to walk. You will trail him until starvation sets in, and the only thing your miserable body can do is weep on the ground. Then you will crawl back to me with your failure."

Azula throws him to the ground, his cheek scuffed by the dirt. The young soldier holds back a whimper, preparing to scamper into the woods in chase of the menace.

"Go!" she yells more prominently, and the soldier picks himself off the ground and follows the shadows until he to disappears.

Dominance settles into Azula's eyes as she turn around to find Ty Lee with a giddy expression. "That was perfect Azula!"

"I know Ty Lee," she mumbles, sweeping her leg back in forth in contemplation. The masked vigilante caught her with surprise for one moment. "That was quite an interesting move," Azula says to herself.

"Princess," an older and more wiser soldier starts, folding his body into a full kowtow.

The soldier stays bowing behind her as she continues her sweeping motion, creating patterns in the loose dirt. Azula doesn't bother to turn around, and she twists her hair around her fingers. "Are the mongoose lizards and armored vehicle ready?"

"Yes, Princess."

* * *

Zuko vanished, and Katara doesn't know where he went. She is to weak to walk around the room, but his aurora and familiar scent of smoke and cinnamon have been missing from the spare bedroom for sometime.

The blankets twist under Katara's sweating palms as water runs down her forehead, creating more tear stains on her cheeks. Her lips are chapped, bleeding enough that she can clearly taste the blood. The metallic texture coats her teeth and tongue. It's everywhere; it's in the smell of the air, mixing with the musty scent of the house. It's in her vision, never quite receding. And the rush of blood is all she can hear through her ears.

Zuko is gone, and Katara doesn't know where he went.

But she didn't hurt that woman. It is a fact Katara has to constantly repeat to herself. She did not harm the little girl, holding the innocent cup of tea. She did not hurt the woman who has been nursing her back to health... or as healthy as Katara can get at this stage.

No one has come up to see her in twenty four hours and sixteen minutes.

Zuko has been gone for eighteen hours.

Has he run off? Did he finally leave her after weeks and weeks of traveling together?

Zuko has been gone for eighteen hours and one minute.

Katara's legs pull into her chest as she wraps her arms around them. She is too hot and decides that stripping herself down to the bare minimum would be the best option. The sheets cool her bare skin once her clothes are in a pile next to the cot. Perspiration continues to bead along her forehead. Her mouth is parched. Katara's hand blindly lashes out, fumbling her way around to find the cup left on the windowsill.

The cup crashes to ground, catching on the back of her hand, and splintering in pieces when the impact comes. There is no water in it anyways, a fact Katara can sense with her eyes closed and back turned.

Zuko has been gone for eighteen hours and seven minutes.

"I have to find him," Katara says to no one. "I have to move from this bed and search the town. I have to make sure he hasn't fallen into the hands of his sister."

She thinks for a minute biting her lip. "I have to make sure he didn't capture Aang."

Her body stays unmoving underneath the covers, and she lets out a sigh. Nothing will get her to move; Katara has no energy left to give.

"I hope he's okay. I hope they're all okay. I hope Toph is helping out around camp, and that she's teaching Aang earthbending. I hope Sokka hasn't gotten them lost, and is still providing his funny sense of humor. I hope Aang is putting on a brave face and mustering through. I hope Zuko isn't on a ship back to the Fire Nation. Please, Tui and La, watch over all of them." And Katara drifts off to sleep.

Zuko has been gone for twenty hours and thirty six minutes.

And Katara cannot stop withering on the mattress, her body spasming every time a creak of the wood is heard. Her eyes dart back and forth under closed eyelids.

She feels a presence walking into the room.

It's him; he has finally come back. Katara's heart jumps as her mind celebrates and her body spasms. The smell of the woods are more prominent in his scent; what has he been up to? She can smell blood on him too; he's injured, and Katara can't help him.

Zuko's heart rate is beating rapidly, and she wonders why. His soft breath lands on her neck as he moves a piece of hair off of her face, tucking it behind her ear. She hears the creaking of wood as she feels him shuffle on the hardwood floor.

Katara opens her eyes to see Zuko kneeling by her bed, holding up a cup of water. "Jaya told me to keep you hydrated."

It has been twenty hours and forty minutes, and Zuko has finally come back to her.

Katara lifts her head, nodding, not trusting herself to speak. Zuko places the cup in her hand, watching her every move.

Katara takes a sip, scowling at the odd taste that has entered her mouth. The water is weirdly thick, coating the inside of her mouth with a tangy, more of a coppery, taste. A familiar taste. Katara peers down into the cup. The thick water has a red tint when a beam of sunlight from the half shielded window hits it. She tilts her head, confused. She holds out her hand, pouring the water onto it, not trusting herself to bend the contents in the cup.

The water comes out in a continuous stream, pooling in her hand. Her hand is stained red as blood pours from the cup. Katara lets out a horrified scream, dropping the ceramic cup.

All she can do is scream and scream and scream.

* * *

 **I hope Azula wasn't to ooc. It was my first time writing in her POV. Also, don't worry, Zuko didn't escape his follower to easily, you'll see more of that next chapter. On Katara's time keeping, it doesn't have to do with her powers, just something she kept track of because she was bored.**

 **I am so behind on everything! The end of term stinks. But at least I was able to write this chapter.**

 **Please Review/Favorite/Follow:)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

 **Thanks to Guest, Evile Ravynne Queene of Glasse, The Congressman, Corkrose, LovinZuko, PB, JourneyRocks13, cbb signing in, and Sun Daughter for reviewing:)**

* * *

There it is again, the rustling of branches, the crunching of dead leaves. Zuko's head snaps to the side. A crack of a fallen branch. Zuko delicately balances on a sagging branch, slowing his panting. The huffs stop short in his mask. Confident that he can hear no sounds coming from himself, Zuko focuses his hearing below.

The footsteps stop their hurried pace, and silence finally descends upon the forest.

Zuko peers down at the soldier through the slits of his mask. His vision is limited to the view the slits can give, and he finds himself constantly turning his head side to side to capture the whole image. The soldier is bulky with muscle but young, young enough to have left his home no more than a year ago. Yet no empathy can be distinguished in Zuko's swirling emotions.

He leaps off the branch with perfect agility. He suspends himself in the air- it feels like he is flying for eternity. Then he drops. Swinging his legs around the soldier's neck, Zuko flips him over until he is straddling the soldier, certain he is subdued.

The soldier's eyes bulge as Zuko presses his knee into his throat. His lips turn blue, and his fingers frantically claw at the brown trousers covering Zuko's legs.

"What are you doing?" Zuko asks, deciding speaking is the only option if they wanted to get somewhere. His hands grip and pinch the wrists of the soldier as he silently lifts up his knee, placing it on his chest.

"I-I," the soldier stutter, voice hoarse from being choked. "The Princess- Princess Azula -sent me after you."

"I thought they taught soldiers to withstand torture in the Fire Nation."

"B-but you're a spirit.. sir."

"And tell me..."

"Li," the soldier says with an accent commonly found in the southern Fire Nation colonies.

Agni, Zuko sighs, there are too many Lees. Couldn't his parents have thought of a creative name? "And tell me, Li, do I seem like a spirit?" He pokes Li's forehead. "I am made up of muscle and bones like you."

"But you're still a monster," Li responds with venom. "I am not."

"Yes," Zuko muses, "I have been told that before. But how many families have you burned and destroyed? No one's conscience is clean during a war, especially one for a hundred years. We are all monsters in our own ways, some more than others."

Li's cropped brown hair dusts the ground as he shakes his head. "I have never hurt anyone."

"I can't believe that, not when you're part of her squadron."

With some ounce of courage, the soldier tries loosen his hand to punch Zuko in the face or mask. The scuffle causes them to tussle along the forest floor until Zuko is able to deliver two quick jabs into Li's stomach, causing him to double over in pain. Zuko may have heard the sound of a cracking rib.

There is no rope to tie up this soldier to a tree, so Zuko opts to standing in front of him as Li struggles to find purchase against a tree trunk. Zuko slides one blade out of his sheath, holding it close to the soldier's throat. If he presses hard enough, blood could well up on the tip of the blade.

"What do you have against the Princess?" Li spits blood on the ground.

"Everything."

"I hope she burns you alive." He struggles to speak, his words becoming gurgled with fatigue.

"Such strong words for someone who probably will get charred by her. Do you really want to go back under her tyrannical rule? What did she even promise when you found me." Zuko tries a gentler approach, thinking of a blue eyed girl and her disapproving glare.

The soldier's eyes drift to the ground. "She never thought I would find you. She made it clear that I should die before failing."

"Do you want to die?" Zuko questions softly.

Li rubs his wrists where they are red and irritated from Zuko's past hold on them. "I don't," Li says truthfully.

"Do you have family?" Zuko is sitting now, deciding that the tired and weak soldier is no longer a threat. He places his blade between them, and his fingers often twitch on the hilt to show dominance.

"I have a wife back in the Caldera. We'll be expecting our first in a few months."

Zuko doesn't know when this turned from a capture scenario and more into a friendly chat with a new acquaintance. Katara's aura must have rubbed off on him at some point, or that his anger towards his family has slowly started to fizzle away under the looming threat of Katara's bending. "Your child would want a father that would love them. No one should be refused that."

"I can't desert; they'll find my wife and unborn child and kill them."

Underneath his Blue Spirit mask, Zuko's face is pensive. "Send a hawk, tell her to find refuge in the colonies."

"I can't do that to her. I can't' have her leave her life and her family just because I was too weak to fill my princess' wishes."

Zuko's jaw twitches. "I can't have you following me anymore."

"I can't fail," Li says earnestly but there is no hope in his chocolate brown eyes.

Zuko is in a stalemate, and he doesn't know what to do. "She expects you to die, so disappear."

"I bet that is so easy for you. But the Princess has spies everywhere, in every town, in every major city. Even hiding in the forests isn't safe for a simple soldier like me." Li sighs, defeated. With no more left to say on the subject, he creates a new one. "What about you? What are you running from?"

Zuko snaps his gaze to Li, though the man won't be able to see his molten stare. His words drip acid. "What makes you think that I am running from something?"

"You're a masked man, and everyone is trying to leave behind something in their past. You said before that we are all monsters, so what monstrous thing are you running from?"

"I'm not going to spill my secrets to you, Li."

He shrugs his shoulders, indifferent to Zuko's answer. "You must have a woman- or a man - that you have feelings for back wherever you're from in the Earth Kingdom. Everyone has a sweetheart even if it is only one sided."

"No, some are not capable of loving another human being." _Like my sister and father._ "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

"Hmm. Whoever that person is who's caught your eye, I feel sorry for them. You seem like a handful."

Faster than he could think, Zuko flashes the one blade at Li's throat. Grazing skin, Li's eyes widen in shock as his hand touches his throat. "You cut me."

Zuko grunts because he's sick and tired of this conversation. It has been too long of a night, and he needs to get back to Katara before she wakes. He has been gone for too long; he wants to see her. "Look, you have a choice, you can easily walk away and find a different path, or I can severely wound you so you can't follow me any longer. Which leg do you favor the least?"

Li pales, and Zuko's glad that the Blue Spirit is a good bluffer.

* * *

Katara wakes up to no cup of blood, to her hand still sporting its brown color. Nothing is red, and her throat is still parched. Zuko is in the room though; it's the only thing her dream, her night terror, had manifested correctly. He carries no cup, but a worried expression plasters itself across his face as he kneels before her bed.

"You were screaming, but I couldn't stop you. Are you alright?"

He smells of sweat and singed flesh. His hair sticks to his forehead, and it glistens with perspiration. She licks her tongue over her teeth. Her voice is scratchy as she tries to form words. She coughs out her first words. "I'm not sure."

Zuko shakes his head. "What a stupid question to ask you. Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't think I can."

He purses his lips, laying his hands on top of hers. "Sometimes talking is the best remedy."

"You were gone for so long; I fell asleep waiting for you. I thought I woke up, but apparently I hadn't." She pauses to collect her jumbled thoughts. "I-I dreamt that you gave me a cup of blood to drink." Katara buries her face in her lap. "It was so real," she sobs.

"A night terror, huh. I used to get them a lot myself when I was thirteen."

She tilts her head upwards, expecting to find his expression far away in past memories, but his eyes are alight and lively flicking across her face.

"It felt like I was being burned again, night after night. The pain was excruciating."

"But you got over it."

Zuko shakes his head sadly. "No, the pain has lessened but the vivid dreams still come. I will never be able to leave them behind."

"If that was supposed to be an encouraging speech..."

He releases a dry chuckle. "Katara," he whispers, "if I am able to live with them, then you will be able to too. You are stronger than me."

"If I was strong, I wouldn't be whimpering the days away in this bed."

"Then it is probably time to break that hold your mind has on you. Don't listen to your thoughts; you can overcome anything as long as you stay in control."

She laughs for the first time in days. A bird answers by twittering back; it keeps the smile on her face. "When did you become so wise? What happened to you?"

"About that..." He rubs the back of his neck, finally taking his eyes off of her.

Her legs dangle off the bed, touching the floor on their own accord. Confidence sparks inside of her. "Where have you been?" Katara asks seriously.

There is silence before he speaks. "Out."

"Out, okay. I'll wait until you give me descenet answer." She fully stands and her legs wobble. Katara drags the blankets off of her; they drift to the floor. She is still dressed in her undergarments, but the air is heated around her. She feels neither cold nor embarrassment.

His hand lightly touches her upper arm, stabilizing her. "I was out in the woods," Zuko tries again; this time providing more than a monosyllable word.

Katara blinks.

Zuko brings his hand to his mouth, clearing his throat. "Out in the woods stalkingmysister."He dips his head as he rushes the last three words. He avoids all eye contact.

With her interests peaked, Katara speaks, "Really? Find anything interesting?"

When he eventually looks up, his gaze is serious and unfeeling. "She's planning on capturing Ba Sing Se. Though I don't know how. Azula is amazing in her own way."

Katara yanks on her hair as a new sense of dread for a different cause fills within her. "We have to warn them, warn the Earthen King. We have to go to Ba Sing Se."

She takes three quick steps before she collapses back into Zuko's arm, dragging them to the floor. "Calm down, Spitfire. You still have to heal."

Spitfire, she thinks, where did that come from? She doesn't comment on the nickname though. "Zuko, we don't have time. We nee-"

A finger brushes over her lips. "I know Azula was tasked with finding the Av- Aang; that will be her main mission first. Whatever she is planning, whatever battle plan, will take a while to come fully into effect. We have to find my Uncle, then we can all head to the city."

"That will take too long," she mumbles against his finger.

"Than you should work harder to get better." His firm grip lifts her into a standing position, and this time she tries not lean into him.

That woman- Jaya, Katara thinks -opens the door with a shocked expression. "Oh, you're up. Are you feeling better?"

Color washes out of Katara's features as she bows with a slight tilt of her head. "I want to humbly apologize for what I almost did to you and your daughter days prior. I am trying to control myself, but I understand if you want to kick us out of your house."

She is rewarded with a slight smile from Jaya. "Apology accepted. You can stay here as long as you learn to hone your powers. But I'm afraid I do not know your name."

"It's Ling, ma'am."

"Ling, dear, now the you're up, I believe you are smelling like something else. I think it is time to bathe you. I will help of course, as you still seem incapable of strenuous movements."

The thought of Katara's body surrounded by water has her locking her arms to her sides. "I couldn't ask that of you. I-"

"I know what you are afraid of." A small smile plays at Jaya's lips. "But I am not scared. I trust that you will be able to control yourself around a water source."

"You may trust me, but I cannot trust myself. Especially after what I almost did to you. You should still hate me and with the right to."

"I admit that you have some frightfully awful power, but steps need to be taken in the right direction in order to further the healing process. If a patient and her healer do not trust each other than there will be no end in sight."

Zuko's raspy voice drowns out the thoughts racing through Katara's mind. "I can stay as protection, or help, for either of you, if that would soothe both of your worries."

Katara notices Jaya is polite enough to hold back a laugh at his innocence. But Katara is stone, and she blinks at Jaya for help, to say the words she cannot form with her chapped lips.

Jaya controls her features, and politely responds. "I think you should respect her modesty, Lee."

Katara watches his blush darken, overtaking his pale complexion as the situation presents itself to him. "Of course," Zuko says, backing up and avoiding both of their eyes. "I did not mean to be impertinent or rude. I'm sorry, Ling."

She mutely nods in thanks, not having the words to speak- not because she is angry, but because the mortification has already started to slip into her skin, and she rather not want to make an undignified squeak of embarrassment.

The bath is no more than a round wooden basin, deep enough for the rim to come up mid chest when sitting, but small enough that Katara has to keep her knees to her chest. Numbness starts to spread through her legs; she wiggles her toes for circulation. Her eyes stay deathly focused on the tinted water as if daring it to cause one mishap.

"I'm barely human anymore," she says once she is fully unclothed and in the murky water.

"You feel pain, right?" Jaya questions, resuming her minute task of dipping a cloth in water, wetting Katara's hair to soak out the dirt and oils.

"I feel all the pain in the world."

"Then you are still human, as pain keeps it that way. Only monsters feel nothing, no pain or love. You are graced to feel both."

Frowning, Katara responds, "Both? I don't feel very loved. Not by the spirits or by my own kind."

"I think a young man pacing outside the door would have you thinking differently. Even a middle aged woman like me, very much passed finding love again in this world, can still notice the signs. They blossom in his eyes when ever he watches you."

"Lee doesn't love me, no matter what you say. I am a burden to him, a nuisance."

"Hmmm. But what of you? Have you found love in an unlikely companion?" Jaya asks, her eyes twinkling with secrets untold as she pours a bucket of freezing water over Katara's head.

Her teeth chatter, and goose bumps prickle her skin. The cold water slinks down her hair, pulling her locks into a bound tangly mess, sticking to her bare back. "It is too early to tell." Katara tastes her uncertainty on her tongue. "But I know for certain that if he were to leave, I would lose myself. He is my anchor to the human world. He is my heart."

Jaya's words pierce Katara thoughts. "You love him, even if you don't know it."

* * *

 **Hello, it has been a long time, sorry about that. But at least we have some hinting at Zutara. And Katara starting to become strong again:)**

 **My main objective when coming up with the idea for this story was that I wanted to have Zuko and Katara become close and find love without having to show physical affection at first (if that makes any sense). I hope I am portraying that okay.**

 **I have two different spellings of Lee so it is easier to tell the difference.**

 **Please Review/Follow/Favorite:)**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA**

 **Thank to Ravynne Queene Of The Lily, Corkrose, watchmyn, Zutara1267, The Congressman, and JourneyRocks13 for reviewing:)**

* * *

"The first steps are always the hardest."

Katara stops short, tilting her head so Zuko is hit with the full force of her glare. "I'm not a child taking her first steps, Lee."

He gives her a small teasing smile. "On the contrary, that is exactly what you are."

Katara tries to chase after him, but her legs- still weak from days of no use -fail her in her attempt. Her fingers graze the clothes on his back as the grassy ground meets her knees, scraping at her skin. The sudden jerk on his tunic has Zuko stumbling back, almost tripping over Katara's kneeling form.

"Sorry," he says when he helps her up.

She brushes off his apology, patting him on his arm as her shaky legs support her weight. Katara doesn't have to turn around to know Jaya is watching them, probably with an amused grin. Her words from a night ago have continuously echoed in the back of Katara's mind.

 _You love him._

They're in the back of Jaya's house; the woods- the only home Katara has known for the last month- dauntingly calls to her. Calling for her to run, to push past the pain, embrace the adrenalin and be free. Be free of the cold stares she saw Jaya's son give her the minute she landed her first step on the bottom floor of their house. Be free of the constant worry that plagues her mind. Be free of the fact that she is one of the only ones who knows about the attack on Ba Sing Se.

If she was brave, Katara would jaunt forward; if she was brave, she would take Zuko with her.

Katara sighs, casting her gaze upon the body standing to her right. His skin- an alabaster coloring commonly found among his people living in the Capital -glistens in the spring heat. There are three suns in the sky, two of them belonging to him. They don't speak, and she wonders if he is deep in thought too.

But Zuko is not gazing for longingly at the forest. His eyes rest upon Jaya's son trotting back and forth with the littlest girl- the one Katara almost had the unfortunate accident of hurting -on his shoulders. Katara watches Zuko's lips twitch at the sound of the little girl's laughter.

Katara pretends to not know what he is thinking.

"You were supposed to teach me something," Katara interrupts and regrets her decision as his molten gaze snaps back to hers. It cools as quickly as it was heated.

"Of course," he responds evenly. Zuko looks back over his shoulders and gives a quick nod to Jaya, who, immediately upon seeing the action, ushers her children inside.

Katara never misses Daruka's- that was his name -distrustful gaze reluctantly leaving the two of them.

"Show me a firebending trick," Katara says, clapping her hands together like an excited child.

"No," he objects cooly.

"What?"

He regards her with a flat stare. "You will not see any fire until we teach you the basics of firebending: breathing and control."

Her fingernails dig into the palm of her skin creating crescent shaped indents. She huffs and matches his straight posture. "You're not going to be a fun teacher. Aang's not going to like that when you teach him," she trails off.

He stutters in mid breath. "W-what was that?"

"Hmmm?" Katara asks pretending to be confused. "I didn't say anything."

"O-okay," Zuko says, rubbing the back of his head. "Uhh... anyways, breathing."

"I think I have that one mastered. I'm alive, aren't I?" she tries to joke but even she doesn't chuckle at it.

Not amused, Zuko continues, "We'll start with breathing then move into some movements."

"Are you going to make me squat for hours?" and she shudders, thinking of what Aang had to endure with Jong Jong.

"No... That is extremely uncomfortable and only useful if you are firebender. I was thinking more on sitting on the ground in the shade." He points to where a tree's branch, budding with leaves, is breaking up the large patch of sun

In time, Katara begins to match his breathing perfectly. Her legs have numbed, and she has to wiggle her toes, shooting pins and needles up her folded legs. But their breathing is in synch with the wind around them, and during some parts of their meditation, her mind starts to wander onto a different path, leaving her senseless to the physical world.

"I think," Zuko starts, his voice breaking her mind out of her wandering state. "That it is time to move to the physical side."

"Oh, thank Tui and La." She stretches out her cramped legs, breathing in the air around her.

"Did you fall asleep?" he asks raising an eyebrow.

"What? Nooo," she trails off, blushing even though she isn't lying.

"Hmmm." He stands, stretching his arms above his head, opening his mouth in a yawn. Katara almosts laughs. But when he tilts his head down, his expression is serious. "Fire and water are opposites. Don't expect to be finished by tea time."

Katara fumbles over the foreign movements, her body already yelling protest. When her feet trip over themselves in a quick moving exercise, she stays flat on the ground ripping up a patch of yellow grass. "Why am I so weak?" she yells into the dirt.

"You're not weak, Katara. You are not a firebender and you should not know how to do this. Just practice for more than five minutes before you completely give up on this."

But soon enough, Zuko's movements are copied exactly- well, almost exactly. Their arms jut out and then one bends back; one foot stomps on the ground while they raise the other to kick. They slide and turn; they lift their hands to block. Katara imagines fire, not water, would be spraying out of of her closed fist pounding the air in front of her. Her muscles scream in annoyance as the art of firebending is more physical than waterbending. And she manages to gracelessly fall every time they practice a complicated form, one that has to do with jumping and landing. A thin layer of sweat coats both of their bodies as the sun mercilessly beats down on their head, shoulders, and arms.

He discarded his shirt ages ago, and the pale skin on his shoulders is tinted pink. She wonders if it stings. She wonders if he is used to the sun burning him. Katara bites her lips because now she has been staring long enough at his exposed chest to be caught. But Zuko has the courtesy not to comment, and she finds the strength to draw her eyes up to his face where she finds his brilliant, white smile because her body is contorted in the perfect firebending form.

I won, she thinks. She got him to truly smile despite his promises not to all those weeks ago.

Katara won and her heart blossoms. Zuko's smile incases her, as his whole image slowly takes up all the available space in her mind. His lips move in words of praise she cannot hear.

She loves him; the realization roars in her ears.

* * *

It's noon by the time Katara and he enter Jaya's house to eat a long awaited lunch. Zuko pretends not to listen when he hears Daruka exclaim, "They're going to be eating with us!", and thanks Jaya when she brings around the steaming pot of some sort of soup. The rest of the family has already squatted at the table, excited for the food. Katara sits on a stool that was dragged over, and Zuko takes a seat at the corner of the table.

The meal is soothing and fills up his rumbling stomach; he tries not to groan when his spoon scraped the bottom of the bowl and homemade bread has all been eaten.

The little girl- Zuko has yet to discover her name -settles herself on his lap, not bothered by her brother's incredulous gasp. Her curly, light brown hair brushes his chin as she leans into his chest, soaking up his warmth. "Mama says you come from far away," the little girl speaks, addressing both him and Katara. "Have you seen badger moles or dragons?" Her child like awe accumulates in her eyes as she stares up at Zuko.

"Lily," Daruka scolds, "don't talk to them."

Zuko understands Daruka's feelings; if he was in the same position, he would not trust wanderers occupying his house. But it doesn't stop Zuko from answering Lily's question. He pats down her curls, saying, "I have never encountered badger moles, but I have fought with dragons."

She giggles, turning in his lap to face him. "Really?! How big were they; I bet you were scared."

He catches Katara's amused expression from across the table, and he can't help but indulge Lily in his fantasy tale. He has always been good with children, something his uncle always praised him on long ago. "They were twenty feet high; their fire was blistering hot. I was able to fend them back, reclaiming the jewels they had stolen from me. The dragons fear me now."

"Wow! You're amazing. Is that where you got your scar from?" Zuko stiffens as her little fingers come to brush over his raised skin. His words are thick in his mouth.

"Lily," Daruka snaps, breaking the child's mesmerized gaze. "It's time for your nap," he grounds out, leaving no room for an argument.

Lily frowns, and to Zuko's surprise, she flings her arms around his neck, whispering into his ear, "You must tell me more later. Please?"

"Of course, Lily," he responds delicately, allowing her room to slide of his lap and scamper upstairs out of view, her brown curls flying behind her.

The bile in Daruka's gaze does not go unnoticed by Zuko, Katara, or Jaya. The latter rolls her eyes, dismissing the attitude of her son. Katara, with her kind, caring soul, offers to help Jaya with the dishes, and Zuko is now stuck at the wooden table staring at Daruka as the middle child had run off ages ago in search of enjoyment.

The sound of Katara's voice floats through his ears but he is unable to pick apart certain words, and he is left with only the hum her voice provides. "Why do you hate me so much?" Zuko questions Daruka, uncharacteristically starting the conversation.

"Even you can't hide your nationality, Fire Nation scum."

Zuko's fingers clench into a tight fist. "I'd appreciate it if you used my name."

"But I don't have to do anything. Your nation doesn't control the whole world and everyone in it, and they never will."

"Do you ever think how some of us don't agree with this war and would gladly change it? Or are all Earth Kingdom peasants thick headed and only think of themselves."

"Look here, _Lee_ ," Daruka spits. "I don't know who you think you are, but this is my house. You will not talk to my sisters; you will not talk to my mother. And most certainly will not talk to me."

Zuko just barely keeps his nose from snorting out steam. "I was just trying to be polite and help out around here after Jaya let us stay in her home. I'm sorry that includes interacting with your family."

Daruka begins to responds, but there is a crash, and Zuko's head snaps in it's direction, his heart pounding.

* * *

When Katara is certain Zuko can no longer hear her and Jaya's conversation, as he is busy participating in his own, she tells Jaya the thoughts that have been plaguing her mind, "You were right. I do love him. Thank you for opening my eyes." She continues to dry the dishes Jaya washes, not trusting herself to dip her hands in the bowl of water and not lose control.

"You should always listen to your elders, Ling," Jaya muses with casual smirk and a slight lit to her vowels protruding as she speaks. "But even you would have figured it out eventually, weeks later or maybe even years."

"Years?" Katara questions. "I still don't believe he could tolerate me for another month let alone another year. He is searching for something- someone, as I am, and once we find them, I am positive we will separate."

"Love never separates. Even if you two crossed paths and never ended up together in another lifetime, that does not mean the love was just as real and just as true. Only this time, the spirits have seen fit to complete the match." Katara's blue eyes stare at the back of Zuko's head as she continues to speak. "I'd count yourself lucky you were born in this lifetime and not another."

"You believe in reincarnation? That sounds like Avatar stuff." Katara chuckles. The cloth wrung around her fingers is damp from drying the ceramic plates.

Jaya plays with the bubbles forming in the water. They tickle Katara's nose when the bubbles land on her. "It's not limited to the Avatar. I believe we will play similar roles in the next life, though with different circumstances dictating them. I believe we will meet the same people in different forms. Everyone is tied together."

"If this war never happened, I might have known him throughout my whole life." The princess of the Southern Water Tribe and prince of the Fire Nation may have even been in an arranged marriage, as ridiculous as that sounds.

"He could have been the Fire Lord that prevented this entire mess."

The plate clatters out of Katara's suddenly cold fingers, smashing against the ground. Zuko and Daruka are standing on their feet, alerted by the sound. But Jaya brushes off their concern, shooing them out of her house to chop firewood.

Katara's hands are trembling as her palms close around the jagged shards, slicing her hands. Scolding herself at her foolishness, she nurses the wound, licking away the blood before it drips on the floor. Jaya shakes her head, kneeling in front of Katara with wrappings. Jaya's hands are soft but not callous free, but the warmth puts Katara at ease.

"What aren't you telling me?" Jaya gently asks, rhythmically wrapping the white cotton around Katara's palm.

"N-nothing."

"Why did you turn into a ghost when I joked about him being the Fire Lord? It was a ridiculous thought, don't think anything of i-" Jaya's charcoal eyes widen, her mouth opening slightly, her fingers tightening on Katara's injured hand.

Katara's eyes dip to the floor and she bites her lips.

"H-he's not the... is h-he?" Jaya's words tremble.

She weakly nods as she assumes all the pieces are clicking in place for Jaya. It's all my fault, she thinks, Jaya will throw us out. It's all my fault.

"The banished Fire Prince," Jaya whispers but it is a yell in Katara's ear. There is silence except for the spring birds. "Huh, I never thought I would be entertaining royalty in my house."

"You're not worried or mad or...?" Katara tries to speak.

"Of what I've seen of him, he is a wonderfully kind and caring man that will go to great lengths to save the one he holds close to his heart. No, I am not worried. You must be a very special person, Ling, to have captured his attention."

And Jaya finishes wrapping her palm by the time the boys come stomping back into the house carrying wood.

* * *

Katara stares at her reflection in the dagger once they are back in the confines of the spare bedroom. Those weeks of little to no food but with pounding exhaustion had melted away her round cheeks of her childhood years. Her cheekbones, more prominent, give her the semblance of adulthood. She is not special.

She must tell Zuko that his identity has been revealed, but the sentences have not formed yet and the words will not come to her, so she leaves it be.

"What are you thinking?" Zuko asks, his boots clipping on the wood as he makes his way to the cot to sit next to her. His knee sinks into the straw mattress as his warm breath passes by her air. His delicate fingers smooth down a wayward curl she has been trying to blow off of her face. If he notices her bandaged hand, he does not comment.

She sighs, sheathing the dagger and cutting off her reflection. "I've changed, and I hate how weak I've become. I am no longer the child I was a few months ago, but I am as helpless as one."

In the sunlight his eyes are orange. "But you haven't been a child in a while. Yes, you were naive when I.. uhh first met you, but you had lost the childish side of your innocence when your mom died as I did."

"I still didn't realize I was seeing a child's view of the world until I experienced countless horrors and wonders myself."

"You see the world in a different image when you grow up, one you did not paint. It's cruel and grim, not as bright as it once had been."

Katara nods her head in agreement, her mind shifting through his words, an exact copy of what she is thinking. "Yes, it's darker but I don't think I would paint it any different. Parts yes, but not the whole picture. I would have never met Aang or Toph.. or you, Zuko." Her fingers curl into his palms; her cold hands send visible shivers through his body. He warms them for her. "If repainting this world meant losing you, I would not do it."

He kisses her on the forehead- his lips are like fire, warmth tingling her sense and having her melt into him -and then he kisses her on the lips.

* * *

 **I think this is my favorite chapter so far; it's the best one I've written.**

 **In my first outline their kiss was supposed to happen in chapter 24. Now that seems ridiculous for it to be that far away. But don't worry the next chapter will pick right up where this one left off. And I would expect that one in about a month. Sorry about these long waits.**

 **A side note: I had to change a line in chapter 16 so it seemed like Jaya and Daruka didn't know who Zuko was.**

 **Please Review/Follow/Favorite:)**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

 **Thanks to Ravynne Queene Of The Lily, Corkrose, The Congressman, Totally Spazz-tastic, Lil Scarlett, KnightOwl247, Guest, JourneyRocks13, and Zutara1267 for reviewing:)**

 **A special thanks to Ravynne Queene Of The Lily for helping me with Daruka's description. Hope I did him justice:)**

* * *

The sensation is hot at first- like a roaring fire not able to be tamed -and slowly that feeling trickles throughout her whole body. Into her fingers curling into his black hair, into her legs and feet pushing her closer and closer to his body, into her eyes exploding with color behind her closed lids. His teeth graze her lower lip and her face feels warm with the sensation of a blush.

His hair is like fine silk as her fingernails scrape against his scalp- he lets out this tiny, adorable noise and Katara has to try not to laugh into his mouth. His hand tangles tightly in her curls. But by the time her brain has caught up to the fact that Zuko, the Prince of the Fire Nation, is kissing her, his warm lips gradually lift from hers and suddenly she can breath again.

"What was that?" Katara asks breathlessly. She is dazed as the invisible pressure on her mouth slowly fades away into a memory. Unlike hers, Zuko's golden eyes are sharp and alert.

But he still stutters. "I-impulse? The sun was turning your hair to gold, and you looked fierce as always." His forehead rest on top of hers; his nose brushes over the skin of her cheek, and his breath flutters over the skin of Katara's lips. "I'm sorry... I should have asked first."

"Zuko, it was perfect. Don't apologize; there is no need to."

"Oh? So if I do this," he nips at her lips again and his tongue runs over her bottom lip, " without permission, you'd be okay with it?"

"Mmmhmm," she hums with closed eyes, "Just as long as you don't take it too far."

"Right... of course... I wasn't even thinking about or trying to imply... _that_."

Katara opens her cerulean eyes to find his face a full shade of red, the right hue to match his scar. She has to let out a hearty laugh at his discomfort, because maybe this is her first relationship- if they're even in a relationship; she is just going assume -and she is not sure which topics are forbidden. By the look of Zuko's glare and the coloring only darkening, it is safe to assume that sex should not be mentioned. That's good though; they're both too young.

"It looks like you're going to burst, Zuko."

He purses his lips. "I'm sorry. I just wasn't expecting you to say something like that after our first kiss."

Her eyes begin to water as she tries to hone in her laughter. "I'm not the impulsive one, so I like to think ahead. But thank you for understanding." Katara is finally able to see pale skin peeking out from the fading redness.

He smiles as he wraps his arms around her, and as they fall back onto the mattress together. They entangle their legs, and Katara almost slips into a fast sleep from the warmth of his hands seeping through the fabric and from the steadiness of his breathing, fluttering the hairs at the back of her neck.

"I will always understand."

* * *

When dawn breaks through the parting clouds, Zuko sighs. Half of his face is buried in Katara's curls, tossed haphazardly across the one pillow. His arms still encircle her waist as she stays in a rhythmic and hopefully peaceful sleep. But his sigh is not one of happiness- though he has plenty of things to find joy in these days. It is one produced by boredom. Zuko will stand from this bed and move through the same motions of the previous week- adding in stolen kisses when nobody's watching. He will help Jaya with the chores- possibly fix a leak in the roof -and teach Katara the basics of firebending.

He doesn't want to rush Katara though. If she is not ready, he'd rather not want to aimlessly wander around the woods afraid they'll stumble into Azula with only one functioning bender. And, if Zuko searches deep within himself, a part of him does not want to accidentally stumble into Aang. It's a selfish thought; Katara deserves to be united with her friends, her family. But he doesn't want to lose her now, not after all they've been through.

 _Aang's not going to like that when you teach him_ , he has a faint recollection of Katara slipping that line in during one of her hopeful days. But Zuko's no teacher; he's a lonesome boy trying to jump from a path he has been trained to follow.

"Copper for your thoughts?" a half awake Katara mumbles, licking her chapped lips.

"They're not even worth that much." Her startling blue eyes are turned towards him. They glimmer as she tilts her head.

A hand glides through his matted hair, musing it with a quick ruffle. "You looked serious. I hope it wasn't because of me."

All of Zuko's thoughts somehow connect to a web where the strings all lead to Katara. "I was just wondering if there was any chance of leaving this place soon. We've fallen into a routine and I almost miss the roots stabbing my skin while I sleep." He laughs afterwards, hoping it feels like he's joking.

But he had never been perfect at masking his true feelings.

"I know staying in one place for too long is dangerous. But I promise, soon. Your lessons have helped out a lot."

"I don't want to push you..."

"I know, Zuko, I know."

And they begin the mundane schedule they have fallen into.

* * *

Daruka has a rugged handsomeness that some- hopefully not Katara - would find attractive, if he wasn't such a prick. His hair curls over the tops of his ears and at the nape of his neck. It's windblown, often dragging in front of his eyes. He had a long nose that fits well with his sharp cheekbones and strong jaw.

All of these little details are suddenly more prominent when he has someone to lose.

Zuko can't help growl every time Daruka's snake like gaze lands on Katara, as if Daruka is analyzing her to remember every detail; Zuko never realized he would have been the jealous type until he finally had someone to be jealous over. He scowls at Jaya's son every time they cross paths, until Katara glances over at him, squeezing his hand in reassurance.

"Don't be stupid, Lee, I'm not going to leave you." Katara's smile makes him feel idiotic for even considering the fact, though he knows it would never happen.

"I know," and he gives her a sideways look as she tries to control her laughter once again.

Now steam from freshly cooked supper fills the air, and the silence, with a tangy aroma. Like always, Katara sits across from Zuko. But now their feet touch each other, not being able to bear being apart for even the time it takes to consume one meal.

"You're both benders, yes? I mean both of you seem to be horrible at lying, and she," Daruka points at Katara, her spoon frozen halfway to her mouth in shock, "is not physically ill. It is my only conclusion."

The spoon, still full, clatters back into the bowl. "Yes, I am a bender. And yes, I am having trouble err... controlling the power."

"You guys must think you're so superior to the rest of us nonbenders who can't do jackshit."

Calmly, Katara responds with, "I have a brother who is a nonbender, and he would destroy you if you two ever fought."

Zuko continues to swivel his head back and forth between the two opponents, having no opinion on the subject. His mother was the only nonbender in his family, but she wasn't around long enough for Zuko to understand if that affected her in anyway.

"I'm sorry," Katara continues, "that you feel that way. I'm sorry that your mother and possibly both of your sisters can earthbend but you can't. But you are lucky. You will never have to worry about losing control and losing yourself while you bend. You will never have to worry about killing someone the next time you see your element. You are not burdened with the constant fear, and that is what makes a nonbender stronger than a bender."

Daruka blinks, because, apparently like Zuko, he too is lost for words. "You're wrong, Wanderer. I am weak and I will always be weak." The chair squeaks as the legs dig familiar grooves into the floorboards as he stands.

"Wow, I actually thought you were going to get through his thick sk-"

"Z-Lee," Katara begins, her eyes trained on the unfinished soup and her hands clasped together, "I think it is time I control my fear." Her gaze snaps up. "I am going to try to waterbend!"

* * *

The dirt is warm beneath her bare feet and grass pokes out through the spaces in between her toes. The bucket in front of Katara taunts her, mocking the way her hands shake by her side, the way her lips tremble as she stares at the clear liquid, the way she has to squeeze her eyes closed to regain control of her breathing. Zuko's presence stands stoically behind her as she releases a shaky breath. His large hand cups her shoulder as he whispers into her ear.

"You don't have to do this if y-"

"No. I have to; I can't let my element control me any longer," she responds coldly, her eyes still trained on the wooden bucket. "But I'd advise you to stand back in case something goes horribly, horribly wrong."

Zuko grunts. "Don't think like that. You will see that you have control. Just remember your breathing."

She looks at him from the corner of her eye; there is a hint of a smile. "I always remember what you teach me."

"Then you'll be fine." His lips gently and quickly brush over hers and then their pressure vanishes. "Be confident, my waterbender."

When Katara refocuses on the water; it is silent as are her fears and worries. The trees have stopped their whispering as the leaves flutter to a silence. The sun casts two long shadows across the clearing behind the house. One belonging to the inanimate bucket and the other belonging to Katara. The time is right. She controls her breathing to become more steady and rhythmic. With a flick of her hands, the water ripples without wind, and she starts to bend.

It glides around her, spiraling around her body and above her head. Her shout is one of glee and laughter as she lets the water fall down on her like rain. The droplets collect in her hair, and the beads of water glisten in the sun as they trail down the dark strands. Katara turns to look at Zuko when something pulls at her gut and her smile falls.

An image and a vision flash in front of her, one drowned in blood and horror. There is no color but bodies litter the ground by her feet in an unknown landscape. She sees the charred remains of friends she left behind in the Water Tribe and on her travels with Aang. Sokka's body is closest to her, but instead of burnt flesh, his skin is shriveled up to his bones. His hair has fallen out of his scalp and the only telltale sign that it is him is his boomerang gripped in his dusty, boney hand. As she pears closer, Katara notices that no one had been burnt at all but in fact they all looked like Sokka.

Piles and piles of shriveled, dried up bodies pepper the area before her.

"Katara!" a dream version of Zuko yells.

Dressed in Fire Nation armor with his hair tightly pulled back into a top knot, he resembles the royalty he had to leave behind. His golden eyes are the only color in this world, except for the red blood that Katara has just noticed that coats her hands and skin and dress.

"I thought you said you had it under control." Zuko has moved in front of her. He cups her face and she leans into him, tears streaming down her face. Now his hand is covered in the same sticky substance.

His own eyes glisten with tears as he gently whispers, "I love you." It is only then, when Zuko pierces her body with one of his swords, does she understand she was the monster who drowned this world in blood.

"Kat...ara.." comes a hazy voice as her eyelids peel open, bringing into view color. Wispy clouds decorate the pale blue sky yawning above her. Katara's eyes follow a bird circling in the air before she focuses on the man above her.

"Wh-at h-appe-nd?" she tries to say, but her throat cracks on every syllable. She lies in Zuko's lap as his head hangs over her. There is a rock poking her in the back and the grass itches her bare legs where the material of her trousers had rolled up her calf.

Zuko's mouth dips into a frown before he responds. "You lost control again."

Speaking comes easier this time. "Did I hurt anyone?"

The backs of his fingers brush through her tangled curls, brushing some locks out of her face. "No. No, people. But you should probably say sorry to the tree you sucked out all the water from. But you collapsed before any more damage could be done."

Katara lifts her head before Zuko can protest. A pile of bark litters the open space where an old tree had stood prior to this afternoon. She gulps and her gaze drifts towards her trembling hands. But they are not stained red.

Without permission, her mind wanders back towards the impromptu vision. Of her friends and family dead, all by her own hand. "If- if I ever go out of control again and it looks like I am going to hurt someone, you have to end me. Promise?"

* * *

 **I had severe writer's block for this chapter. But I pushed through and put off homework and beta work to finish by today. Hope you all enjoy:)**

 **Shit is going to hit the fan in the next chapter, so stay tuned.**

 **Please Review/Follow/Favorite:)**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA**

 **Thanks to JourneyRocks13, Corkrose, KnightOwl247, The Congressman, LovinZuko, lawliness, and Zutara1267 for reviewing:)**

* * *

"No fucking way. I am _not_ promising you that." Zuko jerks back, and without the support of his legs, Katara's head taps the ground. She's numb and can barely feel it. The dust of the ground mixes into her dark hair, the dirt massaging her scalp.

His expression is furious; his eyes scream in rage as the gold glistens, melting in the sun. A familiar snarl that Katara hasn't seen since those early days is back, narrowing his features. The grass tickles her ears and weaves its way into her hair along with the dirt. How quickly his mask can be applied.

"Why not?" she asks, honestly confused.

"I'm not a _murderer_ , Katara. And I would never harm someone I lo- who means the world to me." A frustrated hand grabs at his inky hair that spills over his forehead and around the collar of his shirt.

"If I'm killing everyone around me, no one would even consider it murder."

Zuko stops his pacing, kneeling down. "I would feel like a murderer. Do you know what that would do to me, if I was the one to end you, to have you leave me? Agni, Katara, do you ever think?"

There is fire in her eyes, as she leans her face closer to his. Zuko's frustrated breath washes over her features. "Why are you being selfish?"

"Why are you being inconsiderate? It's not just me either; why aren't you thinking of your brother and the Avatar?"

Tears collect in her blue eyes, spilling onto her cheeks. "I asked you this because I don't want to kill them! I don't want to kill you, Zuko! I love you too much!"

He stares, his gold eyes blinking repeatedly. His head falls onto her shoulder. "No one's ever told me that before."

"What?"

"That they love me, besides my mother of course." Clear tears slide down his cheeks, collecting in the ridges of his scar.

"I mean it, Zuko; I have loved you for a long time now, and I will never stop."

"Thank you," he whispers into her collarbone, his lips puckering on her smooth brown skin.

The breeze tickles their skin, weaving through their hair as they lean into each other, drawing on each other's strength and bravery. Breathing is all Katara can hear, as his breaths continuously whisper past her ear. His body is warm against hers, and she tries not to melt into him, wanting to surrender and stay together in the sunny patch of grass.

Where nothing but their feelings for each other matter.

Where the threat of bending and the impending world destruction doesn't matter.

Until her brain comes out of its impromptu haze, and these thoughts start to leak through the block, coming full force to the front of her mind, overwhelming her. She starts to whimper and cry as the stress presses down on her body. As the fear of her bending starts to press down on her limbs. Zuko's arms wrap tighter around her as Katara's body starts to sag from the weight, her body becoming limp.

"Shh," he soothes, rubbing a warm hand up and down her back. "Everything will be okay."

Empty words. Her nose is buried in his hair, the longer strands tickling her as she breathes in and out. His scent enveloping her, of spices and of a crackling fire. His unique smell that he hasn't lost even with being in the woods for many months.

"I-I don't understand. I thought I was better, but here I am blubbering because I can't bend. I'm going in circles, and it's getting old. I want to be fixed!"

"You're not broken, Katara. Far from it. You may be bent but not broken. Not broken like me or my family or this world."

Katara finds her vision filled with molten gold, a brightness that would rival the sun. "If I can't bend-"

"Bending does not make a person. Your brother is a non bender, my sister's friends are non benders. I've taught you how to use swords, and I can teach you more advance skills if you're interested. Maybe it's time to forget about waterbending," Zuko says.

"No!" Katara yells, "I am the last waterbender of the Southern Tribe. The legacy will not end with me just because I was too weak to control myself. Just because one method didn't work, doesn't mean another won't." She finally breathes. "You said so yourself that your uncle could help, that the spirits would help."

"Katara," he starts gently. His hands are on her arms; goose bumps travel up her skin as he pushes her to an arms reach. He dips his head. "The Painted Lady did say you would have to learn control. But she wasn't very helpful. It seemed like you had to do it without otherworldly help."

"But she told you that Yue was supposed to talk to me. I have to find her, find a way to communicate with the moon spirit. Let's leave this place. You're as sick of it as I am."

When they venture back into Jaya's house Katara can sense the thickness of unspoken words descending upon her like a second, suffocating skin. Jaya frowns, as if she knows the waterbending didn't work. Lily, with her stuffed platypus bear, has a sad glint in her eyes, like she knows Katara and Zuko will be leaving soon. She runs up to them as soon as Zuko enters her vision, hugging onto his two legs, stopping any forward motion. Everyone's laughs does nothing to ease the tension.

Drauka is nowhere to be found.

"Where will you go from here?" Jaya begins the questioning as a pot is stirred over the fire. Zuko peels some carrots off to the side, the tiny peeling knife hidden in his large hand.

"Ba Sing Se. That's where all the refugees go," Katara supplies. The smell of the stew bombards Katara's nostrils as the bubbles floating on the liquid surface of the meal start to pop from the heat of the fire underneath the metal pot.

"We're hoping to find my uncle, though it will be a slim possibility at be-"

"Lee is just a pessimist," Katara begins, trying to smile. "I, on the other hand, do believe that we will find his uncle in the uhh... very large city."

"Well," Jaya says, gathering the plates. "I will wish the best of luck to both of you, and I hope that you will be able to find happiness in this messed up world together."

One last meal is shared together, and soon Jaya is hugging Katara, mumbling regrets into her ear. Zuko slings a pack over shoulder, filled with new supplies and medicine. He places a couple of extra coins in the older woman's hand ignoring her protests.

"I'm sorry we were a burden," he says. "I hope these compensate for the extra food and materials that were spent on us."

Jaya stares at the engraved golden coins, her finger tracing the grooves. "This is more than enough. I am sorry to see that you have to go so soon, and I'm equally sorry to know that nothing was accomplished here."

Katara ducks her head, feeling Jaya's eyes on her.

"I only wish that I got to learn more from you, as you have learned from us. But you," Jaya says, her piercing gaze lands on Zuko who is standing in the doorway, his back facing the dirt road. "Become the ruler I know you can be, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation."

Katara's feet are making impressions in the loose dirt soil as Zuko's jaw still hangs low in disbelief. She tries not to laugh.

"You knew that she knew, didn't you?" he speaks for the first time since leaving Jaya's residence- which in reality was less than two minutes ago.

"Maybe. It accidently came up in conversation one day. She seemed fine with it, excited even to be serving royalty."

The dirt path leads to the town's market, a place they haven't been to since the day Katara collapsed a couple of weeks ago. She hopes everyone has forgotten about that moment, as this is the only way to Ba Sing Se. Very few people are crowding around the equally empty market stalls. A crumpled piece of parchment runs over Katara's boots and she jumps. Everything is too quiet, even the birds have stopped singing.

"Something's wrong," Zuko states before a hand latches onto Katara's wrist.

Her body whirls around, staring into the dark but fiery eyes of Daruka. "Going without saying goodbye?" he spits.

Katara's hand flies to the hilt of her dagger before Zuko has time to unsheathe his swords. The tip of the metal presses into Daruka's soft skin under his chin. A thin trail of blood pools on the tip of the dagger and making its way down Daruka's sun kissed skin. Her hand shakes when she sees the blood; something calls from inside of her, singing a haunting tune in her ears. "What did you do?" Katara growls, and Zuko sneers next to her.

"What I should've done sooner," Daruka somehow gloats though he is the one at knife point.

The unmistakable clanking of armor fills the tiny square, and the remaining people scatter. A flash of red and orange, and soon the ground around them is bursting into flames, corralling them into a circle. The dagger digs a little deeper into Daruka's skin as her eyes blaze with hatred, mirroring the ferocity of the fire. Twenty or so Fire Nation soldiers surround them as well, their beady eyes hidden by the light of the fire. The leader of the group hits Zuko on the back of his head before he can swing around with a kick; he lands on his knees, kneeling and dazed. Blood trickles from his mouth.

A gauntleted hand grips Katara's writs crushing and bending it until she hears the bones snap- or was that her screaming?- making her drop the dagger. The words of inspiration are scuffed over with dirt as one of the soldiers proceeds to kick the weapon into the fire.

"Thank you," Daruka praises. "But couldn't you have gotten here sooner?" he asks, rubbing the cut on his neck; it has stopped bleeding.

"Watch it, kid. Or we'll start asking how you knew these criminals so well." Criminals? Katara thought Zuko and her were fugitives.

"Hey," he stammers, "I was just being a good citizen, reporting when I saw them walking through the village one day. Nothing more."

"Traitor," Katara seathes, both wrists now held by a soldier and drawn behind her back. The man's hot breath slides down her back.

But in the back of her mind, she is confused. There is no sign of a crazy princess and her crazy friends. Over the head of one of the soldiers, she sees a prison cart and has to wonder exactly what Daruka told these men. Through these lagging seconds, it is obvious that they do not know that one of the 'criminals' is the banished prince of the Fire Nation. Either way, she hopes Daruka rots in hell.

The flames begin to part and the soldier starts to drag her through the dirt. She tries to bite at the man's skin but every inch is covered in metal plated armor. He pulls at her hair, and tears water in her eyes. His hands encase her waist and is not above brushing one hand over her breasts. Katara's afraid.

"Zuko, help me! Hel-" A soldier clamps his meaty hand over her mouth, muffling her last call. And at Zuko's name, all of the soldiers' eyes bulge, looking at their kneeling prince, struggling to stand.

A boot pounds into his back as Zuko begins to struggle; his face grinds into the dirt, his pale skin painted a darker color. He can't firebend; he can't reach his swords. But with the determination shining in his eyes, she knows he just wants to save her but is helpless. "Katara," he screams, spitting out dirt clumps, "you have to do it. Use your bending!"

"No," she whimpers as her hands begin to feel the encasement of cold metal handcuffs on the way to the prison carriage. "I can't. I can't. I'm sorry!"

* * *

 **I can't believe the one year anniversary of this story is this Sunday! It's crazy, I know, so to celebrate, here is another chapter:) Hope you all enjoy.**

 **I have a question to ask all of you:**

 **There is about ten chapters left in this story, so would you like to end it with an epilogue (which may seem rushed)?**

 **or**

 **Would you rather have me extend it 10 or 15 chapters more because I got a really cool idea to continue this story into season three (but I also don't want it to become too boring and dragging on)?**

 **Please help me figure out what to do! I know which way I'm leaning but I would like to hear from my readers.**

 **Please Review/Follow/Favorite:)**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA**

 **Thanks to LovinZuko, Guest, KnightOwl247, Guest, Nenadenerd, Actual-Grendel, The Congressman, head-first-fearless11, JourneyRocks13, BunheadBookworm, Zutara1267, and SeaweedBrainiac1218 for reviewing:)**

* * *

Dust settles in his eyes, and Zuko winches as he has to desperately blink to get the particles out, but his eyes water anyway. His ears fall to silence as dust continues to coat his tongue, the grime creating a film across his teeth. And the world dims in color as the prison cart with Katara slumped in the corner begins to pull away, the wheels cutting grooves into the dirt.

Hot blood runs over his skin. It catches in his long lashes and outlines his features; it's a patchwork of drips trailing down closer and closer to his chin.

Blinking to get rid of some of the red tint shadowing his vision, Zuko swings his gaze around, mentally cataloguing every soldier. None of them bare resemblance that strikes a memory in him, though. Every soldier is a stranger and he notices that they all have that blank stare and clean shaven look in common. None have a venomous appearance Azula usually favors in her entourage of soldiers.

 _They're not hers_ , Zuko thinks with utter certainty.

When the cart disappears over the hill and from Zuko's line of sight from where he is on the ground, he finally tilts his head up, tears finally threatening to fall. A hand grips his hair, arching his neck until he has the ability to completely look one of the soldiers in the eye. He wants to curse but his mouth is filled with too much dust and blood to vehemently get his point across. _Get the fuck off me_ , Zuko mentally replies instead.

The soldier's eyes are more brown than gold, and the man's lips pucker in a grim line. "We'll wait for a new cart for him," he says, answering an unheard question from another simple soldier. "I didn't want them together."

Maybe they're smarter than Zuko gives them credit for. But then again his face is plastered on every bulletin from here to the Fire Nation, and yet they continue to label him as a common criminal.

He's much more than that.

"You look familiar." The soldier's eyes narrow in concentration.

Zuko grits his teeth, spoke to soon. The grip on his hair tightens as the rest of the party come to gawk at him like a circus monkey. He's not a show pony, but his head hurts too much for him to concentrate on anything more then his thoughts, and the blood clouds his vision.

"... it's the Prince."

"... Crown Prince?"

"Zuko."

Snippets and pieces of the conversation and soon someone is yelling to find the Princess. A komodo rhino tramples off in an unknown direction. At least Katara is safe,- well as safe as one can be in a prison cart -oblivious to Azula's involvement and effectively off her radar. Soldiers' words wrap Zuko in a cold embrace as he blinks the thick liquid out of his eyes, scanning the crowd. The bastard Dakura seems to have scampered off, leaving Zuko alone with heavily armed firebenders.

The pain from his head releases as someone pushes him back into the dirt, their heel digging a groove into his skin. He squeezes his eyes shut, basking in the sudden darkness and the sparks of light that pop behind his lids. Zuko's teeth grind together- not unlike the pattern of movement the boot makes -as he gathers his strength and anger and passion. All fear is thrown to the far corner of his mind as a hot light sparks inside him.

Zuko blindly lashes out with fire, encircling his arms as the flames dance up them, burning away the cloth but not harming his pale skin. Fire licks at his opponents as they jump back in surprise, unchecked shock encompassing their features. They scramble to unsheathe their steel blades and light their own fists on fire. But Zuko is quicker.

And his movements are flawless.

Every kick and ball of fire meets its intended target. Scorched earth tells the tale of the battle as blackened sand displays where the soldiers once stood but are now crumpled in a steaming heap. His rage expands as he pushes a wall of fire away from him and onto his last opponent, whose only method of defense is to stand there with horrified eyes.

Zuko collapses, breathing heavy. His eyes snag onto the tracks rutted into the ground. He snarls and begins to stand. With a quick whip of his body, he pinns a stockier version of a boy his age to the side of a building. Daruka's eyes tremble as he claws at Zuko's hand closing in on his windpipe.

"P-please."

And Zuko drops him to the ground, but not without placing a blazing fire dagger next to his throat while Daruka regains his steady breathing.

"Where are they taking her?" he questions, deathly calm.

Daruka mumbles a sentence that whispered something less than pleasant. Zuko's mouth curls into a sneer.

"Answer me, you bastard!"

"I have no fucking idea where they took her. Do I look like a map? I just wanted you monsters out of my town. I didn't ask any questions." Daruka coughs; there is murder in his eyes.

"You know this land; I don't. Think with that small brain of yours and tell me where the closest Fire Nation stronghold is." His fire heats up Daruka's skin, and beads of sweat start to build up on his forehead.

"It's many miles away. 10, 20, I don't know. It would probably be easier to find your whore still on the road." He smirks. "If you leave now, you might just catch her."

A hand encompasses Daruka's arm, and he screams as blinding white fire begins to burn his skin. He screams when he looks into Zuko's murderous eyes. "Don't you ever call her that again, you little shit."

His hand is bloody, dark red and dripping, when he pulls away from Daruka and he feels no satisfaction looking at the red blistering and ruined skin he left behind. But Zuko doesn't feel remorse either. Just empty. With softer eyes and a calmer mind, Zuko begins to speak again, "Do you know what your stupidity just did to your town, the pain and suffering you brought to your family?"

There are tears pooling in Daruka's eyes and streaming down his ashen cheeks. "N-no. I just wanted you gone; I just wanted you gone."

"Well congratulations; you've just been colonized by the Fire Nation. Oh, and if you see a Fire Nation Princess come through here, give her my regards. Tell her, 'Prince Zuko can't wait to see you again.'" He dips into a low bow. Then proceeds to pick up his discarded swords and runs along the path the prison cart created.

He doesn't look back on the town or the sniveling boy holding his burnt arm.

* * *

When Katara opens her eyes, the only light she can see is the beams streaming through the bars on a tiny window too small to escape through. The cart smells of rotting fish and piss, but more of the latter. She wrinkles her nose in protest and almost bites her tongue when the cart runs over a pothole.

It's been minutes, and her body is already protesting against the cramped conditions. Katara gingerly nurses her right wrist, but having no water to heal the broken bone, she winces as she has to stare at the inflamed and swelling skin. Another bump has her broken wrist bracing herself against the wall, and she has to muffle a pained scream by biting down on her other hand.

Silk strings of saliva stay attached to the corner of her mouth as Katara pulls her hand away,the pain having subsided to a manageable amount. Teeth indents mar her brown skin. She can trace them with her fingernail, the grooves and indents that match the bottom of her upper teeth.

Katara repeatedly smacks her crackling lips together as her tongue becomes dry and her throat scratchy. In the blazing sun of the mid morning, the cart becomes a furnace.

And time passes ever so slowly.

The cart awkwardly lumbres along, being pulled by an ostrich horse. The trees pass by slowly, and for the first time as Katara stares through the tiny window, her nose pressed in between the bars, she realizes they aren't moving fast at all. She could probably run faster than this. Katara smiles because now a sliver of hope fills within her. Their pace gives a chance for Zuko to catch up.

Then she frowns, realizing her mistake. He was captured along with her.

But if he escaped...

"Umm, excuse me!" she yells, pounding against the inner metal wall of the cart. "I have to go to the bathroom." Stalling for time is the only option Katara has.

"Go in there," comes a gruff reply.

Against her will, her eyes drift to the floor, tracing and internalizing every stain darkening the wood. Her stomach lurches in disgust and she quietly shuffles away from the patch of stains. That method is not going to work. And Katara grunts in response,

"Thank you, but on second thought I think I can hold it. But you could answer a question for me..."

"We're not supposed to talk to prisoners." The soldier's voice is muffled, and she presses her ear to the cool metal to hear better. She catches the crack of whip and a whine of an ostrich horse. And Katara senses a warm body beyond the metal plates.

Something new has her insides twisting. Her lips pucker. "I know but I'd really like to know what I've done wrong."

The man sighs, and Katara hopes he is lonely enough to talk to her. "You stole something or other from that brat's house. Look I don't know the details; I'm just the driver."

"So you don't know anything about me or my companion..." she hesitantly trails off.

"No, I don't. Now if you don't shut the fuck up, this ride is going to become more unpleasant for you than for me."

A snicker passes through the wall from a younger voice. She didn't realize she had an audience. But if Katara closes her eyes, she can almost picture the two men sitting up front. One grips the reins, his heart thundering along with the ostrich horse's feet . The other, with small features and a very pointed nose, she imagines is leaning against the wall, hands behind his head, whistling or laughing at dirty jokes with his companion.

When Katara opens her eyes, blinking quickly, she finds her hand is spread against the wall, palm flat, her fingers straining to reach something that's not there. She can feel vibration trembling into the pads of her fingertips and down to her core, and it's not from the prison cart. She backs away until five relatively small steps brings her to the opposite side. One of the men is whistling, the other laughs at something unsaid or unheard by her ears.

Katara pulls on a lock of her long hair in frustration, her fingers catching in the knots. No one chained her down to the floor; no one chained her hands together. She is free besides the walls of the cart that enclose her.

Katara is free if she can only find a water source.

Deep inside her, she already knows where to find one.

* * *

 **Sorry for the long wait and slightly shorter chapter; I had writer's block. But hopefully you still enjoyed it:)**

 **About the question from the last chapter, I was very happy to see that y** **ou all went in the direction I was hoping for! So I will be extending this story into season 3 once we reach that point.**

 **Please Review/Follow/Favorite:)**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA**

 **Thanks to Guest, Corkrose, Queene Sweet Tee, Guest, JourneyRocks13, The Congressman, Zutarafan1992, and ivylene.h for reviewing:)**

 **To the Guest who reviewed chapter 22: Thank you for the review, and thanks for the critique; I am always looking for ways to improve my story! But I do have to kindly ask you not to mention Zutarafan1992 or Zutara1267 in a review as they are not prevalent to my story. In the future I don't think you should make assumptions about other users and myself as you do not have the full story. Hope you enjoy this chapter:)**

* * *

"I think I'm going to be sick," she tells the driver, groaning as she hunches over. Please, please, please stop, she thinks as the cart still rumbles along. I need to be free. I _have_ to be free. The cart lurches to a surprising halt. Unbalanced, Katara tumbles to the floor, inches from the door just as one of the men open it.

"I don't know what the fuck you think you're doing, but it's not going to work."

Katara stares at the man; he's older than she expected. His forehead is wrinkled, and dark bags shadow his eyes. He smells strongly of ostrich horse and sweat, a pungent body odor. When Katara doubles over, looking like she is going to puke, it's not an act. The stench overwhelms her senses. She swallows bile.

"Please, sir. I just need a minute. Some fresh air and I won't sully your prison cart." Hastily, Katara adds, "Then you won't have to clean it up, sir."

Without a word, the Fire Nation man drags her out of the cart, a disgusted look plastered on his features. His weathered and veiny hand grips her broken wrist, hard. Katara cries out in pain, but quickly bites her tongue when the man clenches her wrist harder out of spite. On top of the bright inflamed skin, a sickly purple bruise will be popping up soon, she assumes.

"Be quiet, Little Lady, or you'll be back in the cart cleaning up your own vomit." His dark gray, almost black, eyes narrow in anger.

"Yes, yes. I'm sorry." Katara drops her head, trying to hide herself from those eyes.

The man pushes her to the edge of the road and steps back a few paces. Katara smiles when she turns her back to the vile man, because the magic word is always 'vomit' and everyone will always leave you alone. Katara hunkers down, gingerly placing her palms on the dirt road. Dust clogs her lungs and she pretends to retch, pretending to vomit. And, either out of courtesy- though probably not - or out of disgust, her jailer has turned his broad back to her.

Katara closes her sizzling eyes, concentrating on the feeling inside. The song she felt singing inside of her when she was in the cart, palm flat against the metal. The melody calls from inside, and her ears fill with its tune. Red blossoms in the back of her eyes; everything is red. And her blood boils in anticipation.

Her head snaps to look at the man, whistling some Fire Nation song. The melody an exact match to the one inside of her. Her wrist's pain has faded, drifting away. Katara's hands snap up as she stands. And the man's body twists; the whistling breaks and a strangled cry calls out the other rider.

This man, with auburn hair, freckles, and a very pointed nose, parts his mouth and his hand trembles as it reaches for his sword. His eyes widen in horror as Katara's right hand catches onto the blood inside of him, forcefully slamming the man into the prison cart.

His body falls, leaving behind a sizeable dent and a smear of maroon blood. The older man continues to wiggle in her grip but his eyes bulge as he continues to exert useless energy. With her free hand, Katara bends the streak of blood on the metal, forming it into a short dark spear, though more in resemblance to a dagger.

"P-ple-ase," the older man stammers. His thudding heart hammers its way into her body, the sound ricocheting in her ears.

Katara just cocks her head. "I'm sorry. But this is going to become more unpleasant for you than for me."

The blood arrow pierces the man's thumping heart, and he collapses on the ground, gray eyes vacant and lifeless. His blood pooling around his body as his life quickly blinks away. Katara's mind is still in its haze, long enough for her to snap her wrist bone back into place with a cracking and a pop. No pain. But when the red haze finally lifts from her eyes, and she finally blinks, memorizing the bodies, pale and dead and still bleeding, the pain fully descends down on her soul.

She looks down at her own hands. They're still brown and spotless, besides the flecks of dust and dirt here and there. She is not bloodied. Her wrinkled Earth Kingdom clothes and skin are not sullied, and she feels like a cheat. Getting away with murder.

It turns Katara's insides as the melody becomes a constant fixture inside of her. A constant companion to remind her of her power. A constant reminder of her guilt.

Tears stream down her face now, running across her cheeks and dripping off her chin, dark spots peppering her trousers. The cozy heat of the final sun's rays begins to slip off of her body, disappearing into the ground as the sun sinks below the trees. She looks up into the sky, the darkening blue hue, to count the stars, wondering if Zuko's counting the same ones or if he is still stuck in another prison cart.

A cloud floats across the night sky, uncovering the hidden moon. A round, full sphere shines down around her. As if enveloping her in a hug. And finally something feels right, feels whole. She unlocked a piece holding her back. And now, she feels cured. Katara _wants_ to bend water for the first time. For the first time, she knows with utter certainty that she won't go ballistic. She'll be able to beautifully push and pull the water like she was taught to all her life.

* * *

The falling snow laces itself in her hair like a crown. White pearls caught in her brown tresses. Katara laughs with delight as she runs to catch the flakes on her tongue. The torches placed around their tribe catch every flake in their beams of light as the sky darkens to a midnight blue. By the time she is done tromping through the snow, her fur parka is dusted in white powder. And she laughs as her mother brushes off the parka before the water seeps through.

Her eyes, wide and sparkling blue, continuously search the night sky, counting all the twinkling stars. "One, two, free."

"Darling," her mother says kindly, interrupting the four year old Katara. She grabs onto Katara, pulling her back into her lap. Her long brown hair brushing across Katara's skin as she leans down to look at her daughter. "It's pronounced 'three.'"

"Fre- th- three," Katara carefully says, forming her tongue and lips around the difficult word. Her mother tickles her sides.

"There you go, baby girl, now try again." She places a soft kiss on Katara's forehead.

Katara laughs, trying to squirm out of her mother's hold to get a better look at the stars. "Okay, mommy. One, two, fre-three, f-four."

Her mother smiles, encouraging her to continue.

"Five, six, seven..." And soon Katara loses interest as the night clears away the thick clouds that had been covering most of the vast expanse. Thousands of white lights shine down on her, and she is mesmerized. But her gaze is caught by the moon, their goddess. She's full tonight, a round dusty white casting a soft glow down on her people.

Katara looks at her fingers, feeling a tingle as a moon beam seems to be specifically shining down on her. Subconsciously, she stretches her hands out in front of her. They're gloved in a puffy blue fabric, protecting her from the biting cold. And in a swift motion, she pulls her hands back towards her; the snow follows.

Confused but with a child-like excitement, Katara giggles. "Mommy, mommy," she enthusiastically calls out, "look what I can do!"

Her mother, pushing the hood of her parka off her hair as the falling snow vanishes from the air, kneels beside her daughter. "Show me, Sweetie."

The snow follows Katara's movements once again, and when she looks up at her mother, expecting praise, she suddenly sees a frown and a crestfallen expression. Her mother catches her gaze and puts on a false smile. A false smile that is genuine to young Katara.

"Did you see, mommy? I have magic powers!"

Her mother reaches out to smooth down Katara's hair, now wet from the melted snow. "It's called waterbending, my baby. You've been blessed by the moon and ocean spirits to hold this power inside of you. But," her mother continues, "you must never show this to another member of the tribe that isn't family. Do you understand me, Katara?"

Realizing she's serious, Katara hastily replies, "Of course, mama. Can I show daddy now?"

"Yes, but let's do it inside." Her mother holds out a hand that Katara happily latches onto.

She stumbles over the snow banks as they make their way back to the hut, but she never falls. As they reach the entrance- the furs are already pulled back showing a father and son around the fire. They look up and Hakoda comes to greet his wife -Katara turns to look at her's and her mother's deep tracks side by side in the glistening snow. And then tilts her head up, basking in the light of the full moon.

Katara is six when she realizes that maybe being a waterbender isn't as magical as she thought it was going to be. Her father and mother always have her practice far away from the tribe, in the frozen wasteland with her brother, if she can practice at all. And without a teacher, she can barely push and pull the water. She can barely lift a droplet out of the ocean.

Sokka always laughs at her and her 'magic water' and maybe that is why she ventured out to the edge of the ocean alone. In the night, the water is dark and black, but the moon sends silver ripples across the top. Droplets land on her skin, soaking into her veins and filling her with a purpose. The air is cold as she takes off her parka, not wanting to sweat.

She throws her gloves on the snowy ground, watching them make a soft impact on the ice, scattering the loose flakes of snow. Her fingers tingle with the possibility of frostbite. Her lips chap in the berating wind. But none of this phases her. The only thing she is conscious to is the water lapping at her boots, the waves rolling towards her in a greeting as her eyes gaze upon the endless sea, dotted with islands of ice.

Katara is six, her eyelids drooping as the hours wear on and her arms becoming tired from the tedious motions. In and out, push and pull, Yin and Yang. She is six when she looks up at the sky with its shining stars, and for the first time she is able to perform her most complicated waterbending movement, levitating a glob of water into the air. This is the age she realizes many things.

And when Katara finally hears her parents' frantic yells, and when they finally drag her back home with a stern warning and many warm blankets, she prays to the moon for guidance. Because her six year old mind knows the moon gives her power and a full moon helps amplify that.

* * *

But while watching the full moon now, the melody sings louder and Katara collapses to her knees, tears continuously streaming down her face as she vomits.

* * *

 **Sorry for the short chapter, but I wanted to focus solely on Katara. I'm happy with how this chapter turned out but also not at the same time. Anyways, hope you all liked it!**

 **I always felt that Katara as a bloodbender had untapped potential, so yes, that will be explored in this fic.**

 **Please Review/Follow/Favorite:)**


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

 **Thanks to Guest, Ice Maiden Olivier, The Congressman, JourneyRocks13, Zutarafan1992, Queene Sweet Tee, and CurrentlyFalling for reviewing:)**

* * *

The rain pours down in sheets. Pieces of hair stick to his forehead, dripping water into his eyes. He blinks to clear them. His boots are coated in mud as he tramps through the soaked forest. His feet squish down into the ground and come away with a pop as he continues running. Zuko rhythmically pumps his legs back and forth, content with his pace and speed. His heart hammers along with the rain. His eyes keep track of the path in front of him, but it's already well into the darkening night with no visible moon and the rain is washing away the grooves Katara's prison cart had made hours earlier.

And now Zuko can barely see; he continuously trips over lose roots and rocks and surprise holes. But the downpour of the rain washes away the sticky mud that coats his body that had been a souvenir from his trip to the ground. Every few minutes Zuko has to stop and check his direction; he can't lose sight of the tracks, his only hope at finding Katara. He needs to catch up to the cart before it makes its way to the prison. Zuko prays to every god and goddess he knows, including Water Tribe ones, for the cart to get stuck in the mud.

He reaches a relatively large clearing where the dirt road begins to widen. Zuko's eyes immediately snag onto the motionless prison cart, but his attention is quickly diverted to something else.

A hunched figure rocks back and forth; rain streams down their clothes. As Zuko stumbles closer, the figure turns into a blurry form of a girl. He blinks rain water out of his eyes, focusing them. He sees familiar brown hair straight and flattened to her head, the blue necklace, her Earth Kingdom clothes.

"Katara, Katara is that you?"

When she tilts her head up, rain droplets mix with her tears. And for the first time Zuko notices the two bodies near the prison cart. With just a quick glance at their glassy, lifeless eyes, Zuko can already tell they're dead, for awhile it seems. He kneels besides Katara as puddles saturate his trousers. He brushes back the locks of hair that have fallen in front of her face.

Her blue eyes waver. "Are you alright?" Zuko asks.

Katara opens her mouth, but unable to form words she shakes her head. Zuko wraps his arms around her soaked and shivering body. His lips brush her ear as he begins to whisper soothing words, "It's okay, Katara. Whatever you did, it was for the right reasons."

Hiccups break up her quiet sobs as she starts to speak for the first time. "No, it's not all right. I had no reason to take their lives; I could have tied them up o-or something." She sucks in a breath. "If I thought things through, they would still be alive. They probably have families; I probably robbed their kids of a father."

His golden eyes pair down at her as the pad of his thumb wipes away a running tear. Rain continues to pelt their bodies. "You did what you had to to survive. No one is blaming you, and you certainly shouldn't blame yourself. It's war; cruel things happen in war. You're alive right now and I've found you, that's all that matters."

"I will always blame myself, Zuko. I'll carry this guilt around with me; it may lessen over time, but I will _never_ be able to get rid of it. You would be disgusted with me if you knew how I did it."

In the time they have been traveling together, Zuko's seen Katara at her worse and at her best. She is his everything, and nothing can shatter that image. He blinks, and the water collecting on his lids streams down his face. "Does it matter?"

"To me it does. I don't want to keep any secrets from you."

Zuko nods, and he places a soft kiss on her forehead. "Let's get out of this rain, then you can tell me."

 _I will never be disgusted by you_ , Zuko thinks as begins to stand, Katara clutching onto his arm as her legs wobble walking across the muddy ground. Zuko unlatches the harness of the ostrich horse, stroking its beak when it softly whines. It's coarse brown feathers are drenched and it's body shivers from the cold of the rain.

"It's going to be okay," he says to the ostrich horse and to Katara and to himself.

He hoists her up onto the animal first and scrambles on afterwards with the last bit of adrenaline coursing through him. "Maybe we'll find a cave, for old times sake." Zuko tries to smile, but it falters when he sees Katara's dim eyes.

"That would be nice," she mumbles, and his hands slide in front of her to take the reins. Tired, Katara leans back into his chest, her eyelids fluttering closed.

The cave is barely a cave; it's more of a rock overhang to keep them dry for the night. If Zuko lied flat, stretching out his whole body, his feet would be caught in the torenchile rain. But shelter is shelter, and there is room enough for two people and an ostrich horse, so Zuko can't complain. He heats his body, drying his clothes, the water becoming steam and dissipating into the air. He helps to dry Katara's clothes as well, embracing her and letting his warmth encompass her. In the span of twenty minutes, what it takes to dry themselves and start a pitiful fire with a few twigs, no words are spoken.

Her body presses against his side, her head falling onto his shoulder; his arms wraps around her. They stare at the already dieing fire as the rain continues to patter down around them.

"I think I'm ready to tell you," Katara speaks up suddenly, her voice strong and firm.

"Okay."

Katara takes a deep breath. "There was no water around, but there was no way I was going to some Fire Nation prison. So I made them stop, and it was like the moon was calling to me, telling me what to do. A-and I used bloodbending. I bent their blood and killed them with no mercy."

"Bloodbending," he repeats after a minute, "that must be a waterbender's subset skill, right? Like lightning is for firebenders."

"I-I don't know. I didn't even know bloodbending was possible, and I doubt I can do it again, at least not without a full moon." Katara straightens to look him directly in the eyes. "You're taking this surprisingly well."

"It's a form of waterbending; there is nothing you can do about that. "

"But I didn't have to kill those two men."

"They would have done terrible things to you, Katara. Your survival instincts clicked in." His hand cups her face as he leans forward. "If you think I would see you in a different light, you're wrong," he whispers. "You're the best person I've ever known. You're strong and courageous, and yes, we've been through a lot. And it's changed us, but we found each other in this crazy mess. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Katara's soft fingers trace the edge of his scar. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Zuko. You've helped me through a difficult time; you always knew the right things to say. You were the one who kept strong. It was your spirit that kept me going. I love you, Zuko, and I always will."

Zuko blinks tears out of his eyes. "I-I love you too, Katara." A small, genuine smile appears on his face. "I- can I kiss you?" He asks quietly.

"Of course, Zuko. Always."

His lips fold against hers. Worries disappear from their minds; all that matters is the heat of their lips and the rhythm of their beating heart. All that matters is the way Zuko smiles against her lips and how Katara hums in happiness. All the matters is the love they share and the bond they've created. His hand glides into her brown curls, still damp, and both he and Katara pull away at the same time.

"Thank you, Zuko, for everything."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you."

Her gentle smile is the only thing that matters to him right now.

The rain pounds harder; a flash lights up the night sky and a startling clap of thunder follows. Their bodies betray them as they both jump at the sound. Katara absentmindedly pats the ostrich horse, calming him.

"Are you cold?" Zuko asks as Katara settles down to sleep on the cold dirt floor. When she rolls over, he spots a playful look in her eyes.

"I don't know. If I say yes, does give me a higher chance of you snuggling with me?"

"If that's what you want." His chin rests on her shoulder as he spoons her. With no actual blankets to cover them, Zuko radiates a steady blanket of warmth for both of them.

Before they fall asleep, Zuko asks one more question, "Katara, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am."

Dreams do not come to Zuko that night, but he knows they plague Katara as he wakes to her trembling in his arms and his voice finally calms her down.

* * *

The walls vibrate to the beat of the tank train; Azula's bed is a mere inch away and if she stretched her hand back she could brush the fine silk sheets. She stares at the mirror in front of her, glaring at her reflection. Golden copper eyes crackle as her mind filters through events of the past couple of weeks, specifically lagging and focusing on the ones filled with the Blue Spirit. An occurrence that happened about a week ago.

The sweeping arc of the man's leg, the way he knew when her lighting was coming, the way he knew her movements, the way he knew _her_.

The black soulless eyes hidden behind the mask always occupy her dreams, taunting her for not figuring out the man's identity. A man who was able to easily infiltrate her base and could have- no, she knows the Blue Spirit did -learned the knowledge of the Fire Nation's attack on the Earth Kingdom capital. He's a small, but prominent, failure in her long string of successes, and Azula doesn't fail.

It's almost as if-

A knock on the door interrupts her thoughts. Azula's eyes travel to the closed door, and one of her guards speak, hearing her silent command. "Princess, we've caught onto the Avatar's trail."

A cunning smirk blooms on her sharp features, "Excellent."

She returns her gaze to the mirror and frowns. It's almost as if she's known the man for many years. And her mind conjures up an image of a cowardly, unscarred boy kneeling at the feet of their father, begging for mercy that won't be granted.

* * *

Toph couldn't sleep; the rumbling echoed through the earth, vibrating to her feet and hands. Her milky green eyes pop open and she quickly dismantles her rock tent. "It feels like an avalanche, but also not an avalanche," she mumbles only to herself.

The buzzing of the ground doesn't fade away. "I know this may sound crazy," Toph begins after waking up her male companions in a not so gentle manner, "but there is a giant metal beast headed our way."

Neither Aang nor Sokka question Toph; after the loss of Katara for a month and no leads on where to find her, hope has been an untrustworthy friend. It's easier not to question things when you already know the world is against you.

The breeze rips through her hair. She feels the pounding movements of Sokka cleaning up their campsite; she senses the light footsteps of Aang as he quickly coaxes Appa out of sleep. And under all that, the constant rumbling of something mechanical headed in their direction.

Momo leaps onto her shoulders, chattering his teeth, as Toph begins to walk towards Appa. "We need to get far away from this thing, fast."

This is their rhythm for the remaining hours of the night as sleep is continuously stolen from them.

* * *

Katara is awoken by Zuko's soft breath whispering by her ear, tickling her skin. Events of a dream already disappearing from her mind give one last fleeting image, causing Katara to shiver in brief remembrance. By the slight movement, Zuko wakes, yawning.

She teasingly whispers in his ear, "You didn't rise with the sun this time."

"Maybe because we were up with the moon all night," he responds, fully awake now, a small smirk lifting his lips.

Her shoulders tilt as the events of the night rush through her, and suddenly her guilt is back. Katara puckers her lips, urging her regrets to the back of her mind. If Zuko notices her mood fluctuation, graciously he does not comment. Katara turns her head to the glistening and sunny outside. A steady stream of water runs off the roof of the cave and creates a small puddle in front of them. Specks of water pepper the ground. "The rain has stopped; we should keep moving."

"To Ba Sing Se?"

"Of course." And Katara silently leads the ostrich horse out from under their shelter. Zuko follows her, his soft footsteps barely indistinguishable from the patter of rain droplets falling from the leaves.

His hand smoothes down some of her wayward curls poking up from the slight bout of humidity, and she rewards him with a small but bright smile.

"Which way?" Zuko asks as he hops up onto the animal, taking hold of the reins. He holds out a hand to help her.

"Isn't the old saying 'all roads lead to Ba Sing Se'? Pick the opposite direction we came from last night. With luck we'll stumble into a village who will know the way."

The ground quickly dries in the hot afternoon of late spring, allowing the ostrich horse to break out into a fast trot without the fear of sticking in the mud. Katara lays her head on Zuko's back, rubbing her nose across his shirt and breathing in his scent. She massages soothing circles into his back, only satisfied when she sees the tension drain from his muscles.

It's been hours since they opened their eyes to the new day. A light coating of sweat covers both of their bodies, and their stomachs gurgle, having had no food for a full twenty four hours. Her eyes begin to drop, and her legs are numb.

"Zuko," she mutters, as he suddenly stops the horse. "Do you want me to take over?"

But he doesn't answer her as he slides down, his legs wobbling slightly as he determinedly makes his way over to multiple patches of white ground. No, not ground, it looks more like fur. Katara looks onward, frowning at how the trees are beginning to stagger from many to one or two trees here and there. Soon they'll be out of the woods and in the open.

She watches as Zuko's hand curls around the patch of soft white fur. Katara hops down from the ostrich horse and bends to the ground. Her fingers brush across another clump of fur; suddenly a wave of nostalgia and a longing for her family hits her.

"This is Appa's fur," she responds to Zuko's unspoken question when he glances in her direction. The fur tickles her nose as she sniffs, "Definitely Appa."

He looks up, quickly glancing at her then into the distance. "It looks like we've finally caught up to them at last."

"And so has someone else." Katara brushes aside the fur to reveal deep indentations of a mysterious vehicle pointing in the direction of the trail of fur.

Zuko clicks his tongue, "Azula," he answers with utter certainty.

Katara swings her leg over the ostrich horse, settling herself into the saddle; the sun beats down on her back as she guides the beast to where Zuko stands. She holds out one hand, the other gripped tightly to the reins.

"Come on," she says, "It's time we found everyone."

And wordlessly he slides his hand into hers as he hops onto the horse.

* * *

 **A lot of POVs thrown at you at once but it was all for the purpose of setting up The Chase episode. Which is where we pick up next chapter and it will obviously be different than in the show. Hope you liked this chapter!**

 **Somehow it's easier to write meaningful conversations at midnight than during the day.**

 **Please Review/Follow/Favorite:D**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA**

 **Thanks to Guest, konggodamera, Zutarafan1992, Guest, JourneyRocks13, The Congressman for reviewing:)**

 **To the guest who pointed out the permission** **issue last chapter, thank you so much! I never intended it to be taken that way and I fixed it the moment I saw your review. Again thank you for pointing it out.**

* * *

Everything is muted; the colors all bleed together in a dull beige. The sun shines down, heating the already dried ground. Even the birds don't sing- unless they all escaped from the awful heat, unless they abandoned the town as well. Everything is dead or dying. No hope lives in a place like this.

The Avatar himself appears dead. His eyelids droop in the hopes of sleep; deep black bags create sunken rings under his eyes. His mouth sags into a frown, and his hands desperately clutch the shaft of his staff. The bison's fur is strewn around his feet, waving in the wind. Though it looks like he'll fall asleep any second now, the Avatar's eyes never leave her face; they're still alert.

Azula studies her opponent, pursing her red lips.

"It's over, Avatar. You're trapped, and there's no help coming for you. Surrender peacefully, and I won't hurt the other two traveling with you." Azula's voice penetrates the silence of the abandoned town.

The color in the Avatar's knuckles seeps out, as he wrapped his whitening knuckles tighter around the wood of his staff as he begins to stand. "I'm not going anywhere with you. I will beat you, and I have confidence that Toph and Sokka will beat your friends."

Her fingers curl around a lock of hair. "If that's the last peaceful thought you want to hang onto, I won't stop you. But I'm afraid it's not going to end with happily ever after."

The boy stands tall as he asks an honest question, "Why are you chasing us?"

Azula smirks. "I'm picking up from my brother's failure." The Avatar's gray eyes suddenly widen in recognition. "What, you hadn't guessed? I'm Zuzu's sister." She mockingly covers her left eye.

"Zuzu?" Despite the situation he's in, Azula watches as the boy tries to bite back a chuckle while shielding his mouth with his hand.

"Ah yes, my darling brother. You know, I've recently seen him around these parts; a week or two ago maybe. I can't be sure. He seemed to be traveling with a new companion, at least that's what I've heard." Azula shrugs. "A waterbender perhaps." Her eyes cut to the Avatar when she hears a startled gasp; the color of her eyes blazes in a frightful glee.

"K-Katara!?"

While her opponent is distracted, she assumes her firebending stance, punching a gust of blue fire in his direction.

* * *

They hear the roar of flames first. They see the way the bright blue light of fire sends miniature flares into the sky, only to be pushed back by a blast of air. And the sparks fly all the way to where Zuko and Katara sit on the ostrich horse. A tendril of air catches under Katara's hair, lifting it off her shoulders and flapping in the wind. Zuko blinks as sparks dance in front of his face.

They are close. The sounds of the battle illuminating the world around them. Zuko can't pick out the two fighters from the crumbling buildings of the abandoned mining town. He just catches the elements. Air and fire, clashing against each other in the endless struggle. Avatar against Fire Princess. Good against evil.

He can feel Katara's body tightening in anticipation, her legs gripping against the beast, waiting to leap off and join the fight. He knows hope fills up the gaps inside of her; he knows after months or a month or maybe just many weeks- how long have they been traveling together? It has felt like an eternity -she will finally find her friends, her family. Where she originally belongs.

As Zuko's body flows with the jerking movements of the ostrich horse, he realizes that the two of them will be united with family in different ways. Zuko imagines Katara, with a giant smile, folding herself into the arms of her brother and Aang. A loving embrace. He imagines dodging blue fire as his sister smirks, blowing smoke off her fingers.

"Go faster, Zuko," Katara mutters behind him, "We need to move faster."

With her command, he urges the animal to sprint with all its remaining energy. It kicks up dust onto their clothes and skin as it gallops to the town line. Voices finally distinguish themselves among the blasts of the elemental battle.

Zuko spots her first as Katara gasps when she watches Aang vault from the top of a building, landing in front of Azula. Zuko spots his sister first and focuses only on her. Her perfect form, her powerful blue flames, her lazy smirk, and he knows she is just toying with her food.

With eyes only on Azula, Zuko hops down from the ostrich horse, calmly walking towards his sister. "Stop, Azula! You don't want him, you want me."

Her body stiffens slightly, hiding any shock, and she turns, for once taking her eyes off of her opponent, though he's too shocked by these events to do anything anyways. The lazy smirk flips to an angry frown. Her darkening eyes scan his form, as his arm extending in front of him, his feet sliding into position.

Distantly, he hears the soft thump of Katara's feet landing on the dusty ground.

"Looking good, Zuzu. Traitor suites you."

He grits his teeth at her words. With a roar, he jumps, kicking a bolt of fire in her direction, for once paying no attention to Aang. He ducks her blue fire, his furry focused on his punches and movements. A flick of his wrist sends a wave of fire at Azula's feet. She stumbles at his unexpected move, her teeth grinding together. Zuko's feet move to a song as he continuously steps away from her fire blasts. He hears a snap, and a weight on his body vanishes, but his frantic mind quickly forgets about it. As he folds his body into a roll, ducking from the fire aimed for his face.

From the corner of his eye, he watches Katara pull water from her makeshift water skin, determination filling her blue eyes. Zuko distracts Azula, running directly at her with flaming fire daggers, while Katara wraps water around her waist, pulling Azula off her balance. With the leverage the water gives her, Katara throws his sister into the nearest building. Dust billows out from the hole, but no shadow moves within, and Katara quickly runs to Zuko.

"Are you okay?" she asks, her hand gently brushing over a steaming tear in his sleeve. Blood coats the ragged material and his skin begins to crack and blister. The pads of her fingers are covered in the silky liquid.

Zuko unexpectedly chuckles. "I didn't even realize she'd hit me." His fingers weave into hers, "Don't heal me. Save your water."

Hesitantly, she nods, and for the first time since engaging Azula, her blue eyes are able to properly look at Aang. But a wall of blue fire suddenly separates the two friends from a reunion as the princess leaps out of the building, everything catching fire around her. The splash of heat and flames forces Katara to stumble back into Zuko; he grabs onto her shoulders, stabilizing her.

"That was fun," his sister remarks coldly, a sickly bruise blooming on her pale skin. "But now it's time to end this."

Ignoring Aang, who currently battles his ever encroaching cage of fire, Zuko's sister continuously pounds Katara, cutting her off from him. Distracted as he runs to aid Katara, Zuko allows himself to get kicked in the stomach, Azula's boot cracking his ribs as she sends him flying. And he crumples to the ground, dazed, with blood pooling from his mouth.

* * *

Katara doesn't even have time to scream Zuko's name as the harsh flames almost touch her face as she hastily jumps backwards. Fire catches to her makeshift water skin, and she throws it to the ground, far away from her as the fire continues to eat the material. It's empty anyways. The smoke from the many fires dotting the area clouds the air and Katara can barely see Zuko.

Azula cackles, "What is a waterbender going to do with no water?"

Katara sends a wolf's gaze in the princess's direction. "There's water in all living things." She lifts her hands, extracting the remaining water from all of the unscorched plants. Two long water whips cover her arms, as she battles Azula's fire balls.

She tries to hook a whip around her opponent's foot, but Azula's not stupid. Having already anticipated that move, Azula covers her hand in fire, cutting through the water with a hiss of steam. And soon Azula relentlessly makes sure Katara's water evaporates, and the waterbender struggles to hold up her defense. Something, lying untouched on the ground, catches her eyes.

"What are you going to do now, little waterbending peasant?"

Flicking her wrists, she freezes the sweat adorning Azula's skin for a distraction. And her hands, scraping against the rocks and dirt, blindly search the ground as she kneels. The weight is familiar as she tightly grips both leather hilts. She raises them just in time, the metal clanging together, as Azula sends a blast of scorching blue fire directly at Katara. The heat licks Katara's face- it's like fire is literally erupting on her skin -but still, the blades repel most of the damage. And Katara's mind no longer lingers on the pain.

Zuko's Dao blades had been discarded on the ground during the fight, the strap having snapped. The light gleams off the steel as Katara begins to swing the blades, batting away fire blast after fire blast. Azula's dark eyes narrow, as if studying the metal work of the blades, but this unusual action doesn't phase Katara in the moment.

"Duck, Katara," Aang yells from somewhere on her left. And she rolls to the side as a sharp gust of wind pushes Azula off her feet.

The princess stumbles to get up as her body begins to sink into the earth and Toph and Sokka emerge from the shadows. A smirk blooms on the young earthbender's face, and Katara has to smile.

"Are we too late to the party?" Sokka smirks, his boomeraang shimmering. The smile turns into a wide grin spreading across Katara's face.

Zuko, having regained consciousness, stumbles to Katara's side, his hand gripped tightly onto her shoulder for balance, his breathing heavy. "Is that...?" he begins as the two of them watch a third figure emerge from behind Sokka.

"Uncle!" Zuko exclaims, love emanating from him as he watches the older man respond with a grin.

Before any more greetings can be exchanged, Azula begins to rise, a furious scowl painted on her features. But working as a team for the first time, everyone effortlessly backs the princess up into a corner of a ruined stone wall.

The princess raises her hands in defeat, and Katara narrows her eyes. "Well, isn't this sweet; everyone's working together. I bet it won't be for long." Her sharp eyes subtly drift in Zuko's direction. "But I know when I'm beaten. You got me. I surrender with _honor_."

Tension never drains from Katara's body as she keeps her eyes focused on Azula, her arms out in a bending stance. The princess smirks, takes a step forward, and fires two perfect flaming blue spears. One towards Katara, who is quickly knocked to ground by Zuko and the blast harmlessly dissipates against another stone wall. But the other pierces his uncle, and Katara watches as Zuko swivels his head, horror etched in his features as his good eye widens. The whole scene happens in slow motion as Iroh falls to the ground with a pained cry and Zuko screams.

In a span of a few seconds, all four elements- water, earth, fire, air -are bended at the princess. It creates a miniature explosion, a swirl of fire and water and rocks and air. And when the dust clears and the tears stain Zuko's dirty skin, glistening in the unrelenting sun, Azula has vanished, leaving behind irreversible damage.

* * *

 **Surprise! Look who had inspiration to write this chapter in a timely fashion:D**

 **So the actual reunion will be next chapter; I just really wanted to focus on the battle here.** **I don't know why, but I just love the idea of Katara fighting with Zuko's swords.**

 **In my version, Sokka and Toph went off to fight Mai and Ty Lee. Iroh also helped them out, as Toph, though she didn't leave the group, stumbled upon him as they were fleeing. So he joined Toph and Sokka, when Aang and them split.**

 **Please Reveiw/Follow/Favorite:)**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

 **Thanks to Fluffyowll, The Congressman, JourneyRocks13, Zutarafan1992, and giada2196 for reviewing:)**

* * *

There comes a time, always sooner rather than later, when everything falls apart. It starts with a glance, a glance of worry and hesitation, of pain and disbelief. It starts with a surging movement; a girl clothed in greens and browns running to a boy in orange. The boy falls into her embrace, mumbling happily.

But the girl quickly pulls away, tears shining brightly in her eyes. The boy exclaims something in alarm. But the girl is deaf to his words as she runs to the side of another man, hunched over a comatose body, silent tears streaming down his face.

* * *

Zuko couldn't speak, no words would come out of his mouth. A scream, maybe, would be the only thing he could utter.

His uncle lies flat on his back; a red, angry wound pulses. Thick streams of blood roar like a waterfall over his shoulder and pools on the dusty ground. Zuko isn't conscious to his surroundings. He's oblivious to the presence of the Avatar and his friends. But his ears twitch as he hears the soft vibrations of footsteps coming to rest by his side.

He detects the unmistakeable scent of the sea in the summertime. When Zuko glances up, he sees Katara, the sun gently shining its rays around her head, catching all the tiny wisps of her hair and painting them gold.

Her soft hand soothingly kneads his shoulder. "Zuko, I need to heal him. I have water."

Zuko mutely nods, and slides over, scraping grooves and indistinguishable patterns into the dirt as he moves. He watches the water coat her hands, glowing a soft blue over the brutal wound. His mouth may pop open as he observes the flow of blood halt and the wound itself begin to close. Skin, raw and pink, around the outer edge, grows anew, as Katara concentrates on her healing powers.

Beads of sweat begin to drip from her brow. She's already weak from her fight with Azula, and Zuko quickly catches her eyelids drooping with fatigue.

"Katara," he finally speaks, "You can stop now."

"No, he's not fully healed yet. I- I need... must continue."

"Katara, he'll live because of you now, thank you. But I don't want you killing yourself in the process. Please, Katara, stop."

Her gaze falls, and her mouth dips down as she slides her eyes over to Zuko, crestfallen. "Okay, just help me move him into that house."

He follows her finger to a somewhat intact house, one that was spared from Azula's fire. Parts of the roof seem to be missing, and plaster on the wall has fallen away to reveal the wood framing. But it will serve its purpose as a temporary resting place. Very carefully Zuko and Katara hook their arms under Iroh's shoulders; his feet drag as they move him into the building.

They don't have any supplies, no more blankets or, Agni forbid, pillows to make his uncle more comfortable. So Zuko settles with lying him on a dusty spot on the hardwood far away from the drafts of the crumbling walls.

"Zuko," Katara begins, placing a hand on his shoulder and gently pulling him away from Iroh's side, "He'll be okay. Let him rest and I'll finish healing him when I gather my strength back."

He grabs her hands, weaving his fingers into hers. "You should rest to."

"No, it's time I had my own reunion," she replies with a hesitant smile and bright eyes.

And for the first time, Zuko realizes that the three, a water tribe boy, an Earth Kingdom girl, and the Avatar, are standing outside not understanding what the hell is going on.

* * *

Joy fills Katara's heart, plastering up the hole's that have been left by the long absence from her family. She steps out of the building, and awkwardly waves. "Hi, everyone."

"Katara!" Aang and Sokka scream first, running to her side. "Where have you been?"

"What's happened to you? Are you okay?" Sokka hurriedly adds, not taking a breath.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she says, batting away their fusing. "Seriously." Her gaze quickly lands on Toph and she walks over to the blind earthbender. "I am so sorry for what I said to you."

The girl sets her milky green eyes onto Katara. Shrugging, she responds with, "It's all in the past, Sweetness. I'm glad you're back though. Now these two-" she jerks a thumb in Sokka and Aang's direction "-can finally shut up about you."

"Thank you," Katara says sincerely, letting a smile form on her face even though Toph won't be able to see it.

She blinks for a second. "Oh, where are my manners." She turns her head to the side, spying Zuko's form covered by the shadows of the house. "Come out here. They won't bite."

But Katara hears the metallic sound of Sokka's boomerang sliding out of its holster and Aang's feet sliding into a bending position, though his eyes still hold their usual friendliness, as Zuko steps out into the sun. Rays hit every angle of his body, enunciating his scar. His golden gaze falls on Aang.

Warning signs never go off in her head, and she drags Zuko, unwillingly, to stand in front of the trio. She eagerly looks back and forth between them.

"Everyone," Katara begins, "This is Zuko-"

"No, really? I don't think we've ever met before."

Zuko sneers at Sokka's sarcasm but doesn't react in any other way. Katara soldiers on, "I _know_ , but he's changed. He found me captured by the Fire Nation and has helped me find you."

"Katara, are you sure he's not the one who's captured you and has just pretended to be nice? To get to Aang," Sokka argues, his grip tightening on his boomerang.

Anger rises up in her as she glares at her brother. "No, he hasn't captured me! You will never understand what we've both been through to be with you now. The struggles we've had to overcome. Neither of you were there when I lost my bending and I thought I would never waterbend again! You weren't there when I almost lost my mind. But Zuko was; he was my anchor. I owe him everything."

"Katara, slow down," Aang suddenly interrupts, "What's this about your bending?"

She swallows. "It's... it's nothing, Aang. I'm fine now."

"Please Katara, I-"

"Can't you see she doesn't want to talk about it?" Zuko interjects. His words settle into silence as everyone save Katara swings their gazes over to him, as if suddenly remembering his presence.

"And you," Sokka spits menacingly, "Back away from my sister, Jerkbender."

"No." Zuko crosses his arms, his golden eyes turning to steal as he takes a precious step closer to Katara.

The two men stare at each other, eye contact never breaking. Aang begins to fuss over Katara again, continuously asking her over and over again about her bending and what happened, especially what happened with Zuko.

Words float around her mind, clogging her brain with too many questions. Too many accusations with a worried tone attached. She blinks as her ears fall silent to their words. Katara watches their mouths open and close, and she watches Zuko, silent, eyes ever drifting behind him to where his uncle lies.

"Just shut up! Shut up!" she screams, covering her ears though she has already blocked out all sounds.

Mouths snap shut, and all eyes pin her in place. "Look," Katara begins. "I don't want to talk about what happened to me. Not yet, I still need time adjusting. No amount of pestering will open me up. You'll hear it when I want you to hear it."

She release a shaky breath, continuing, "And you will treat Zuko with respect! I don't care what you think of him. But I'm telling you now, he has helped me and I will be forever grateful." Turning fast on her heels and hair whipping her back, she proceeds into the crumbling house, wanting to check on Iroh before resting.

When Katara wakes, having collapsed on the dusty floor, darkness envelops the room. Only one shaft of moon light penetrates the broken window, illuminating her face. Rubbing sleep from her eyes, her heart quickens as she spies Iroh's unmoved form. She hoped that he would've awaken by now. But he's still breathing, his heartbeat pulsing through her two fingers pressed against his neck, and his wound isn't infected. A good omen.

Footsteps pad across the floor, and a hand touches Katara's shoulder. Expecting it to be Zuko, she is startled to find Toph, blinking at her. "Good to see you're awake. Ah, you might want to come out here."

Katara follows Toph's lead and is met with a crackling fire and arguing. Sparks drift their way to her, landing on her nose and fading quickly. The fire colors their faces an angry red and Zuko's scar hides behind a shadow. Sokka's hand has already found his boomerang, and the poker stick, gripped tightly in Zuko's hand, steams.

Her hands tremble. "What's going on!?"

"We've been trying to stop them," Aang says, sliding over to Katara's side, worry swims in his gray eyes. "But they've been arguing non-stop. Sokka... uhh... Sokka has said some pretty rude things."

Finally noticing Katara's presence, they turn, bodies facing away from the roaring fire. Sokka's mouth is pinched in a straight line while Zuko's eyes glow in anger. "Katara," Sokka starts, "We're leaving!"

"It's the middle of the night. Don't be an idiot," Zuko responds instead, before Katara even parts her lips.

"I'm not going to wait until daybreak. That's what you're hoping for, isn't it? I bet you want us to wait until Fire Nation troops have arrived; you want us to walk into your trap."

"How many times do I have to say it?! The Fire Nation wants me dead as much as they want all of you. My sister should have made that quite clear."

Crossing his arms, Sokka replies with, "You're lying."

"And you're stupid."

"Both of you just stop!" Katara scolds. "Sokka, go scout the perimeter and cool off."

"Fine," he humphs, "But I'm only leaving because I want to."

 _He's such a child_ , Katara thinks as she watches her brother stalk into the night. Both Aang and Toph have parked next to the fire, the excitement over with for now. This time it's Zuko that comes up to her. His tall frame blocks the light from the fire and she can't see any of his features. His face is clouded by the night.

"I-I need to talk to you." He waves her over to the building. Inside, he pauses briefly to check on his Uncle, whispering some sort of quick Fire Nation prayer. Then he sits against the adjacent wall; Katara follows, sitting in front of him.

"Your friends don't want me here. It's better if I go. Once my uncle wakes, I think I shoul-"

"No!" Katara interrupts, her eyes blazing. And suddenly she kneels in front of him, cupping his face in her hands. "I want you here. You can teach Aang firebending."

He shakes his head, his pale hands sliding over hers. "I can't teach someone who doesn't trust me."

Tears threaten to spill down her cheeks. "T-they just don't know you yet. In time-"

"No, Katara, I don't think they ever will. You found your family; now I need to find mine."

* * *

 **I literally had to go back and read chapter 1 to remember why Katara left the group.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter:) It took a little longer than expected but I've started the "fun" process of college applications.**

 **Please Review/Follow/Favorite:)**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA**

 **Thanks to monkeybaby, Queene Sweet Tee, , JourneyRocks13, The Congressman, Miki, Guest, and Zutarafan1992 for reviewing:)**

* * *

"I still don't understand. I thought I could be your family. Your uncle can travel with us! Zuko please!"

But even Katara can see the words Zuko told her are shattering him into pieces. His golden eyes waver, clearly on the verge of tears. Lips quiver as he opens his mouth to respond. "I love you, Katara, I truly do. You're my everything and you _are_ my family. I just can't deal with the insults and the glares and untrustworthy gazes." He takes a deep breath, his voice already cracking. "I'm not ready yet. I still haven't come to terms with myself yet. My hands shake whenever I'm near Aang, like my body is still in the past while my mind is in the future.

"I think I'm at war with myself and right now I need to be with my uncle more than ever."

"Zuko," Katara says gently, her fingers tracing his jawline. "I never knew this was how you felt. And I'm sorry I didn't realize how painful it would be for you."

"Don't apologize, Katara. It's my fault for being weak." Zuko ducks his head, as if ashamed to look at her expression.

"You are not weak! You're strong, and you make me strong. And," she hiccups, "and even if it hurts me, I must let you go."

"Do you mean that?" Zuko asks, finally staring into her trembling blue eyes. "I don't want to fight and then leave. If you truly want me to stay, I will, for you."

It's possibly that she blinks back a tear or two. "I mean it, Zuko. I want you to do what's best for you, not for me. I-I can function without you for a time." Her dry laugh infiltrates the tense space. "But you have to find me someday."

"Thank you, Katara."

His lips are salty from tears she didn't know he was shedding. Their lips collide, and breaths are exchanged. She tries not to cry, knowing he will probably be leaving the next morning. But when she feels the wet streaks of tears sliding down her skin, breaking up the thin layer of dirt caked onto her features, she realizes her efforts were wasted.

"I guess we're not going to Ba Sing Se together anymore," Zuko speaks after they break apart, but they are still wrapped in each other. Her head rests on his shoulders, breathing in his normal cinnamon scent wafting up from the skin of neck.

"No, not anymore. But if we happen to travel there at the same time, I'll come and find you." Her fingers lazily trace patterns in the palm of his hand. Her finger swires and curls around his pale skin, creating flames and waves. Fire and water colliding.

"And I'll find you."

They're silent for a few more moments, content with the sound of each other's heart beat. A quiet breeze weaves it's way through the cracks in the walls, ruffling Katara's hair as it flies past. She shivers and snuggle closer to Zuko.

"I'm sorry my uncle won't be able to help you." When he speaks, his golden eyes are a dark amber.

"Help with what?"

"You know, your bending? Remember, he was going to help you connect with the spirit world."

"Hmm, that idea was a lifetime ago," she hums. "I feel better now anyways; I fought Azula with no problems."

"I still don't think you're completely...balanced with yourself." The hint of worry in his tone never reaches her ears.

"I've never felt more balanced in my life," Katara grounds out. She's never felt more in control, more powerful with her waterbending. Though the incident with the prison guards will always haunt her dreams turning them into nightmares. But Katara hasn't felt that type of power call to her since that night, and she has brushed it to the back of her mind.

"I-"

A grunt of noise emanates from the back of the room, interrupting Zuko. They both whip their heads around to find his uncle gripping the side of the wall, propping himself up. A trembling hand grips his wounded shoulder. Iroh's round face supports a gray pallor and his lips pinch together in obvious pain.

"Uncle!" Zuko yells, rushing to his side.

Katara bends him a cup of water from the bowl at his side. She brings it to his parched lips, allowing him to drink before he speaks. "How are you feeling, Iroh?"

He coughs, color already returning to his cheeks. "W-well, thank you."

"I must check your bandages again, please lay down." A small smile curves onto her face.

Katara methodically unwraps the sullied bandage, breathing a sigh of relief when she fully uncovers the wound to find raw and new pink skin shielding the damaged area. To be safe, she draws water from the bowl, healing him one more. Discomfort on Iroh's face drains away to a pleasant smile.

Zuko clutches onto his uncle's hand. "I am so sorry. This shouldn't have happened. I-"

"Don't worry, Zuko. Azula can never be trusted; I should have expected this. But I am fine now, and I am attended to by the best healer. Thank you, my dear, for _everything_."

And she understands, from the look in his amber eyes, that he is not just talking about healing him but for taking care of Zuko as well. _He knows_ , Katara thinks, _somehow he knows how much we mean to each other._ _Though, he probably saw us hugging and drew a very accurate conclusion_ , Katara muses with a faint smile as she begins to rewrap his shoulder.

But her heart sinks when speaking again. "You should be back on your feet in no time."

* * *

They decide of leave when Iroh is strong enough to be moved and be away from a healer. Which unfortunately for Katara, is the next morning right when the sun rises over the horizon. Zuko had stayed in the ruined house with his uncle the entire night, not wanting to face Aang and especially Sokka. Katara understood, and she brought dinner to him and Iroh, staying with Zuko for the night. Curled against his body for heat while they slept.

But when Zuko taps her on the shoulder, the sun mirrored in his eyes, her heart sinks, though she still gives him a 'good morning' smile anyways. Katara fuses over Zuko's pack, constantly asking if he has enough food, water, and bandages. Her words tremble as she speaks, but she continues to fold makeshift bandages-both for himself and his uncle-and place them in his worn bag.

"Katara," Zuko's voice rings throughout her frazzled mind. He quietly places his hands on top of hers, stopping her rushed movements. "We'll be fine."

Zuko supports his uncle as they make their way out of the structure. And as she solemnly drags her feet behind them, Katara turns her head to find Aang, Sokka, and Toph facing away from them, apparently unconcerned with what's happening. By the time Katara's eyes returns to Zuko, Iroh is already on the ostrich horse, clutching onto the reins.

Maybe she should have prepared some sort of emotional speech, but whatever thoughts she would have said was already uttered yesterday. Instead, she settles with a simple but impactful "I love you, Zuko."

"I will always love you, Katara, even if we never see each other again."

She grasps his hand, a final touch. "We will, I trust that you'll find me again. Besides, you're a great tracker." Zuko's unexpected laugh sings in her ears. His lips press against her cheek, the gesture disguised as one last farewell.

"Goodbye, Katara," Iroh calls from on top of the animal as Zuko climbs aboard. "I believe we will meet again. Our fates are intertwined after all."

It's poetic, in a way, how she watches Zuko ride off into the distance. Seemingly out of her life as quickly as he was introduced to it. Inside, Katara knows they will see each other again; probably more quickly than her crumbling heart will lead her to believe. It's poetic, the sun rising in front of him rather than setting behind, his vision facing forward and never glancing back.

Katara wishes she was with him right now.

* * *

The dust that Zuko's ostrich horse kicked up has long since settled back to the earth, undisturbed for the rest of the day after he and his uncle vanished over the horizon. The sun is once again rising back in the sky, beginning a new day. Mocking Katara with a promising future.

A lonely future.

"Katara, you keep looking off in that direction. Do you want to go to him?"

She looks into Aang's large, innocent gray eyes. He has a hand resting gently on her shoulder. "It's too late now even if I wanted to." Katara chews on her lip, and when she realizes her eyes have once again drifted to the direction Zuko went in, she refocuses them back on Aang.

"You know I don't want you to leave."

"I know."

"But that doesn't mean I want you to be unhappy." A slight, tentative smile tugs at his lips. "If we can meet up again in Ba Sing Se, I won't stop you from leaving."

Katara knows her wide grin breaks Aang's heart, that she'd rather be with Zuko than him, but her heart beats too fast, her blood pumping in anticipation. Even though it has only been a day, probably exactly twenty four hours, she misses Zuko, painfully so. But a sudden thought has her smile falling, disappearing off her face completely. "Sokka won't let me."

"And when has that ever stopped you?"

" _Never_ ," she affirms.

He nods in agreement. "Appa and I will help you, when it gets dark."

"No."

His eyes snap open in confusion. "What? I thought you wanted this."

A simple laugh echoes from her lips. "I meant 'no' as in I don't want to leave at night. I want to say goodbye to my brother properly this time. I don't want to leave him some stupid note, or nothing at all like last time."

"Sokka's the happiest when he's eating, maybe you should break it to him at lunch?"

"Aang, when did you get so wise?"

He shrugs, dragging Katara into a tight hug and she buries her face in his cotton clothes. "I've grown up a little."

* * *

"No, Katara. I'm not letting you leave, especially not to go find that piece of scum." Sokka's eyes are ice, and his fingers dig into the brown skin of his bicep as he crosses his arms. His food is forgotten.

Katara grits her teeth, continuing to fill a canteen with water for her journey. The liquid spilling into the opening glistens in the light. "You know you're the exact reason Zuko wanted to leave."

"And good riddance to that."

She stands, slinging her bag and canteen over her shoulder. "Please, Sokka, I'm finding him no matter what, but I'd rather not leave with anger between us."

Sokka sighs, his shoulders slumping in defeat. Blue eyes reflect her own when she glances at him. "Is this really what you want?"

"Yes." _With all my heart._

"Do you promise to come find us in Ba Sing Se?"

"I wouldn't dream of forgetting."

"Then I guess I don't mind you going, though I am still strongly opposed to the idea."

Her eyes become pools of glee and mirth as she hugs Sokka tight, arms wrapping around his lanky frame. "Thank you, thank you!"

She'll miss the comfort her brother always gave her; she'll miss the innocence of Aang and his humor. She'll miss her friends, the ones she has just found again. But this is what she wants, and Katara knows she would have been miserable throughout the rest of their journey.

Before she leaves the campfire in search of Aang, Appa, and possibly Toph, Sokka's voice floats to her ears in the form of one more question. "Do you love him?"

"Yes."

He nods. "Then I wish you the best of luck, little sister."

* * *

 **I'm not that happy with this chapter, but hey at least I got something out to you. Hope you enjoyed it nonetheless:)**

 **Also, sorry for any mistakes. This was a really rushed editing job.**

 **In my original outline, Zuko was going to leave. But then I saw in the reviews that some people wanted him to stay, so I decided to compromise, have Zuko leave (because I believe his book 2 journey is necessary) but have Katara go with him (which is good because it's difficult to write the other gaang characters, lol).**

 **Please Review/Follow/Favorite:)**


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA**

 **I am so so sorry for the long wait (more of an explanation is at the end of the chap). But please forgive me and please forgive me for any continuity errors, I have been away from this story for so long.**

* * *

It's early in the morning, the sun's rays sprinkling over the horizon and touching the earth, when a large shadow looms over Zuko and Iroh's hastily organized campsite. Which consists of a shabby fire pit with charred, ashy wood and blankets draped over thick branches to protect them from rain if there is a chance of any.

The sky had been clear up until this point though as Zuko arches his head back, his features descending into shock.

The large figure creating the shadow blocks the sun as the beast floats down to the ground with a loud thump, rattling the ground and shaking the trees. The vibrations travel up through his body. It takes Zuko two blinks before he realizes the beast is Appa, and behind his large head, stand two figures, frantically waving. Well, one-the person with more of a feminine figure-waves frantically; the other sends a half hearted 'I need to be polite' wave.

Zuko can't blame the Avatar for that one.

His legs scramble forward without a command as he jumps up from his seat, running to where Appa has landed. Katara gracefully slides down Appa's fur from her spot in the saddle. He spies a pack already slung over her shoulder, and it doesn't take Zuko long to figure out what's happening.

Aang stays on Appa, and Zuko decides to ignore him for a moment; it's best for everyone at this point. Iroh, too, remains many feet away from their reunion, tending to the fire and unsurprisingly brewing a pot of tea.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko asks immediately, his hands gently landing on Katara's arms as they stand close together.

A few leaves have been captured in her long tresses, and methodically, he picks them out one by one. The dead leaves burn away in his palm, crumbling to ash and smearing across the pads of his fingers.

Her blue eyes shine, a content expression on her face. "I've come to join you."

It's a simple statement, but it's something that Zuko will never forget, and he locks away this memory in his brain. Though her words make him ecstatic, he can't help but frown. "Katara, you know you should be with your family."

She bites her lips, concentrating on his golden gaze. "Well, you're my family too; besides we're meeting all of them back up in Ba Sing Se. And that's what? A full day or two walk, plus a ferry ride? I'll see them soon."

 _He actually has a family now. It might not be of blood but he can call it his own._ He loves her so much. "Are you sure?"

"I am, Zuko. I want to help you like you've helped me," she says earnestly, clutching onto his hands. "I can't leave you behind, not when you mean so much to me."

His only response to her is his well known secret smile, and he can physically see the light pooling into her ocean-like irises. It's almost blinding to look at. She places a chaste kiss on his cheek-the spot of contact tingles as if she kisses him for the first time-and they both turn their attention to the small figure on Appa.

"Thank you, Avatar," Zuko raises his voice, hoping it reaches the young boy's ears.

There seems to be no problem with communication as the Aang leans over the the side of Appa's head, his gray eyes large with a twinge of a deadly warning and a hidden bit of sadness. "Take good care of her, Zuko."

"I will."

* * *

Katara has bittersweet feelings about her decision to continue traveling with Zuko instead of her other friends. At the beginning-especially when she had found out Zuko was the Blue Spirit-she had been dying to find everyone again, to hug her brother and help Aang with his bending and hang out with Toph, with some much needed lively banter. Now, either unfortunately or fortunately-she hasn't quite decided yet-she has changed. Katara's not sure if this is because she feels more grown up from being on her own or if it's because she's been through a lot of shit, and that would change anyone.

In all honestly, Katara's not quite sure that she fits in with anybody anymore. Her closest companion is Zuko, and for now, she needs someone to confide in and not ask questions about what happened. This had been her deciding thought; you can't leave the one you love. Their love is still new and raw but strong, and she doesn't want to damage that.

She'll meet up with her brother and everyone else in Ba Sing Se, and maybe these last few days apart will allow her time to adjust to the idea of being around her old family again.

Katara watches as Iroh teaches Zuko something with a lot of hand movements and not much-or any for that matter-firebending. Zuko's expression continues to darken into a frown as more and more time passes. Though Katara's not a firebender, he appears to be following Iroh's movements exactly, so her curiosity is peaked by his expression. Earlier in the day, Iroh had tried to teach Zuko the lightning subset of their bending, and even though in the first couple of minutes Katara saw sparks dance on his fingers, most of his attempts ended in blackened scorch marks on the dusty ground and their hair frizzing from the electricity.

"That looks like waterbending," she pipes up, setting down the stick she had been absentmindedly doodling with, and walks over to the two.

Iroh turns, directing his full attention to her. A pleased smile graces his weathered features. "You are very perceptive, Master Katara, I learned this move from studying your people."

"Oh?" _So this must be why Zuko thought Iroh could help,_ she thinks quietly.

"He's teaching me how to redirect lightning... by not actually shooting lightning at me to practice," Zuko grumbles, sliding his feet back into a resting position, and his hands fall by his side.

Katara's mouth drops slightly in shock before she controls her features and instead raises a disbelieving eyebrow. "Zuko, you don't need me to tell you how _stupid_ that idea is."

"I think we will get along very well, Katara," Iroh nods. His eyes glimmer with pride as he supports her statement and sends a stern gaze to his nephew.

Zuko throws his hands into the air, exasperated. "I can't believe you're both gaining up on me."

Katara taps a finger on her lips, hiding a humored smile. Sometimes his dramatics are too cute. "Well someone has to keep your recklessness in check. Besides, Azula will probably give you a chance to practice when she attacks next."

"You're not wrong about that," Zuko easily affirms.

"But until you have enough practice," Iroh stresses, "you are to stay far away from your sister and her lightning."

"Yes, Uncle," Zuko bows his head, agreeing, though all three of them know they have no control over when and where Azula will strike.

It's a pleasant thought to think they can control that. A strange sort of silence settles into the air. Zuko returns to his bending forms, and Katara's gaze drifts to the ground. Etched in the dirt under her feet are the four bending symbols, neatly separated by two lines creating a grid. Not for the first time does she wonder what Iroh had taught Zuko. But she had been asleep when they started and then was advised to stay a length away when Zuko practiced generating lightning for the first time.

"I think that's enough training for now," Iroh says, rolling his aching shoulder and massaging it slightly. Katara wishes there was more she could do, but without delving too deep into her power and risk losing control, it's all up to the body's natural healing capabilities now. "Let's have a cup of tea and then we can talk."

Zuko wipes away beads of sweat that have started to pepper his alabaster skin and rakes his short bangs out of his face. The sun shines brightly down on them, kissing their skin. The heat is uncomfortable, and even though it's barely mid-noon, Katara can feel her tunic stick to her skin. She gazes up at him, watching a small smile grace his lips.

"I'm so glad you decided to stay." His fingers lace through hers, and they begin to make the quick walk back to their partially shaded camp site. They're held up in another abandoned house. This one is just as destroyed as the one in the village; it's been without a family for quite awhile.

"Me too."

Iroh hands her a steaming cup, and she lightly blows across the top, mesmerized by the tiny ripples across the liquid. The tea hits the spot as it slides down her throat, soothing any worries and leftover bits of anxiety. Zuko's face mirrors a similar relaxed expression. For a second, Katara amusedly wonders if Iroh drugged them, but in the end, any good cup of tea acts like a drug. A beneficial one at that.

"Katara, I've heard you've been having some trouble with your bending?"

Before answering Iroh's question, she sends a raised eyebrow in Zuko's direction, wondering just how much he talked about her when they were only separated for a few days. Zuko innocently shrugs, sipping at his tea. "You've heard correctly." She's not sure how much Zuko revealed, so she rambles on. "The firebender had this chi blocker device that was created to be used as a regular restraint. Though I might not have been in the right state of mind, I'm almost certain there was a needle involved, hidden in the cuffs that injected something into me."

Iroh nods along gravely.

"Anyways, I lost my bending for quite awhile, and when I got it back, I couldn't control it. It was like I just realized I could waterbend for the first time, only instead of having the ability of a child, I had as much power as if I trained for many years to master the skill. I did some things I'm not proud of, and through all this, I found a new subset of waterbending..."

"Bloodbending," Iroh easily supplies, already knowing where she was headed. At their confused glances, he elaborates further. "Not many cases have been reported, but there have been legends over time of powerful waterbenders that could control a human's body without even touching them."

Katara decides it's best to be honest in situations like these. "I don't like the power and I wish I never learned about it. But I know it has potential in stopping Azula and possibly even the Fire Lord-" she doesn't miss the way Zuko gulps at the mention of his father "-but I refuse to kill with it."

"You are a healer, so you know the ways of the body better than us," Iroh begins, "There are paths you can find that will simply place the person into a state of unconsciousness."

"I know, but that's not the part I'm worried about," Katara mutters.

"How are you now at controlling it, your regular waterbending, I mean?"

Katara shakes her head slightly, wondering how to word her thoughts. Immediately upon seeing her slight distress, Zuko's warm fingers knead comforting circles into her back. "I've felt better than I have in a long time, but I don't believe I'm fully healed. There's a part of me that still feels off balanced, and I don't think I can fix it."

Zuko's shoulders straighten in worry at her confession, but no comment tumbles from his lips.

"But you want to ask for my help," Iroh finishes gently, his gaze a solace as she shifts on the ground.

"Yes, I'd be much obliged."

"You don't even have to ask, Katara. You're family now." A knowing gaze is sent to both her and Zuko, who ducks his head, an adorable blush coloring his skin. His fingers lift off her back and she already misses the lack of contact.

"Let's start when we get to Ba Sing Se though," Katara decides, "I don't feel comfortable spending any more nights in these woods." Katara rubs her thumb across the side of the cup, and Zuko's shoulder touches hers as he slides in closer.

"I couldn't agree more," both men say at the same time, and everyone dissolves into a brief fit of laughter.

Two days later, they stand in line to acquire passage on a ferry. Katara lightly hops up and down in her place, expelling her pent up energy as she watches Iroh woo the female worker at the ticket counter. Her eyes skirt over everyone in the station, cataloging every obvious detail; it doesn't look like her friends have arrived yet, and she frowns in worry. They still have time though; the Fire Nation hasn't found this hole in the wall place yet.

Then she remembers that they should be flying on Appa anyways and have no need to navigate the treacherous crowds of this place.

There are too many refugees though, and Katara wishes she could help every last one of them. She spots a woman with a newborn baby cradled against her chest and nestled in her arms. What a world that innocent child has been born into.

Distracted by her thoughts and from searching the people around her, Zuko has to nudge her back into this world. He hands her a stamped ticket. "Ferry leaves at three so we better hurry."

They walk briskly through the crowds, shoving and then apologizing when needed. The boat they're assigned to board sits at the far end of the docks. It's a close call, but all three of them step onto the deck just as the Ferry Master calls for any last passengers. The man spots their tickets and ushers them quickly along.

It's about ten minutes after the ferry has successfully left the port and glides across the open water when they can relax. She watches as Zuko's and Iroh's shoulders drop in sync, the tension falling away. Katara breathes a sigh of relief, gazing across the ocean and basking in her element. As she tracks the water's movements with her eyes, imagining all the ways she can shape the liquid with her hands, she realizes that both Iroh and Zuko will have to keep their bending a secret, and so shall she to some extent.

That will be a difficult task.

A hand lands on her shoulder, one that is not warm and comforting but still sickeningly familiar.

"Hello, _Katara_ , long time no see."

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Explanation time:**

 **I had a really tough senior year which is one of the main reasons why I put this on hold. But the most honest explanation I can give is that I fell in love with another fandom and another OTP. I still love Zutara with all my heart, but I'm not as interested in them as I was a year ago. Voltron and Klance (KeithxLance) have effectively taken over my life and I couldn't be happier.**

 **That being said, I will never abandon this fic, but as I'm going to college in a week and am not into writing for Avatar as much as I was, updates will be slow. Hopefully not with a 9ish month break in between chapters, but we will see. Writing this chapter seemed to rejuvinate me though.**

 **Please review/follow/favorite:)**


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA**

 **Holy shit, I am blown away by all the reviews! Thank you, thank you so much. Those reviews actually encouraged me to write another chapter so quickly. I am so happy you guys are still into this story.**

 **Quick Note: So I haven't seen ATLA in like a year so I forgot the order of the episodes. I had forgotten that the gaang only goes to the ferry place because Appa was missing. I know in the previous chapter, I wrote how Katara was looking for her friends at the ferry (instead of just assuming they would use Appa to fly to Ba Sing Se). That has now been fixed, and besides Sokka's pov at the beginning of this chapter, assume season 2 is proceeding just as it would for the gaang, the only difference is that Katara's not there.**

* * *

Sokka's not quite sure why he let Katara go back to that Prince. Yes, he had seen how his sister grew up in the short time she had been gone. And yes, he also didn't want to be painted as the bad guy by keeping those two apart. So in the end, he had reluctantly decided to let her go, confident that she would return to them once they reach Ba Sing Se.

Currently though, as he shifts through too many old books that clog his nose with mold spores and batches of dust, he wishes she was here. They've flown slightly off course, before heading to Ba Sing Se, and now they find themselves in an underground library.

The detour had been a welcomed one.

It's quite fascinating. Sokka's truly in heaven right now. But he wishes Katara was here to help him search through the old books to find the Fire Nation's weakness. Aang is too busy looking up fun facts about his past lives and chatting with the owl spirit, and of course, Toph is on the surface, keeping Appa company.

Or is Appa keeping Toph company? Not that it matters.

Then Sokka sneezes for what must be the eleventh time, wiping his nose furiously.

Breaking away from his thoughts, he returns his attention to the yellowed pages of the book. Most of the Fire Nation's manuscripts have been burned long ago, but a few survived. They were well misplaced in far away corners. Sokka is forever grateful to those who could not reshelve books correctly. Unless they were being coy and did it on purpose, then he is ten times as grateful for their ingenuity.

But the book he holds in his hands mostly dictates firebending forms and talks about the original firebenders in great detail. Sokka knows dragons no longer exist and chucks the book to the side, wincing at the harsh crack as he undoubtedly broke the binding.

Whoops.

Picking himself up from the ground, he's resigned himself to the fate of wandering these halls until inspiration-or a book-strikes him. Either that or until Wan Shi Tong throws them out. He doesn't trust that spirit and he knows the spirit doesn't trust them.

There's an old scroll at the end of a long hallway of bookshelves and dusty books piled along the floor. It sits in a glass case, and the light streaming through the small cracks in the ceiling illuminate the document. Dust lazily floats around in the small sun rays. The case, of course, doesn't stop Sokka from pulling the scroll out and examining the crumbling page. Pieces of paper fall into his palm. Gingerly, he places it back on the pedestal, deciding that holding it is not the best option.

A long, winding smile creeps its way onto his face as his eyes dart over the old Fire Nation script. There are a few words that have faded and the majority of it he can't read, but he understands the general basis of the secret that's held in the parchment.

Hope rises in Sokka's chest; now all they need is an eclipse.

* * *

" _Jet_!" Katara practically spits, her mouth twisting into an unpleasant grimace and her eyes two blue daggers. Her gaze cuts into everyone around her even if she only wanted Jet to be affected by her glare.

The man across from her, with his overly shaggy brown hair and piece of straw hanging from his mouth, gulps. But, she notices, he doesn't take his hand off of her shoulder. She wants to wrench her body away from his grip; unfortunately though, Jet's fingers are too strong, digging into her skin. When Katara senses that Zuko's about to step in-a shadow falling over both of them-she holds up one hand. She can handle this man for now.

"Wow, you've certainly changed," Jet comments. "There's a new fire in your eyes. I like it. I guess no one can stay innocent for too long in this war."

Ignoring his comment for a moment, Katara searches for the rest of his freedom fighters, and she spots Longshot and Smellerbee hanging back, watching her closely but mostly letting Jet take the lead. They're smart, she muses, smarter than Jet is being right now.

"I can do things to you that you can't even imagine!" she growls harshly, an obvious threat. "So get your filthy hands off me. Now!"

Of course, Jet is stupid-should she have expected anything less? He stands there, shock evident on his features, and a hint of pride flashes across his eyes. It's disgusting; Katara sneers.

When Jet doesn't comply, a strange smirk crawling its way onto his face, Zuko's hand grips onto the man's wrist, ripping him off of Katara. There's enough force to send Jet stumbling back slightly, his feet catching on one of the deck boards where a nail sticks up. Zuko's golden gaze simmers under the rays of the sun, his expression screaming murder, or at least a slight degree under. Katara can't help but smile. "She said to let go."

Jet rubs his bruising wrist, scowling. "Your hands are awfully warm for an Earth citizen's. Where'd you say you were from again?"

"We didn't."

"Interesting." Zuko's vague response seems to satisfy Jet's curiosity for now.

A thought briefly crosses her mind; she wonders if this will come back to haunt them at some point. Jet's dislike of Fire Nation citizens, innocent or not, is no secret. She just hopes that Jet won't discover Zuko and Iroh's.

Katara continues to watch Jet's eyes though; his gaze is calculated as his eyes flicker between both undercover firebenders. No one misses the fact that Jet lingers a second too long on Zuko's scar. To Katara's surprise, the mark placates Jet even more as he realizes Zuko's been just as hurt by the Fire Nation as he has. She still won't trust him though. She can never trust him again.

Anxiety pricks at her skin, filling her with all sorts of worry. There's a sensation inside of her, goading her into freezing this man to the ferry's deck and walking away. Though she would like nothing better, she has to quell this feeling from consuming her. Her fingers twitch as they hang by her side and she has to clench them into fists to stop the shaking.

It doesn't work.

Katara switches her gaze back to the water. It churns in agitation, the waves berating the side of the ship. "I need to take care of something."

"I'll go with you, dear." Iroh mutters, watching her with worry.

Against their better judgement, they leave Zuko alone with Jet.

* * *

"You never told us your names," Jet slyly observes once Katara disappears below deck with his Uncle.

There's a permanent scowl plastered onto Zuko's lips now, but he decides to be polite for once even though Jet has done nothing to earn this. "I'm Lee and the other man was my uncle Mushi. You seem to already know Katara."

Jet does not let the opportunity to allow a pleasing smirk to address his lips pass him by. It's revolting in a way, and Zuko wonders just how much Jet knows about Katara. How long had they been friends? Because at one point, Katara had trusted this man. Had it been a week or did things go sour after only a few days? He'll have to ask Katara for the true story. At least it's certain they didn't part on pleasant terms.

"We ran into each other when their little group-her and the Avatar and her brother-was just starting their adventure. They didn't understand the necessities of war."

Zuko raises an eyebrow. "And you do?"

"I think most people in the Earth Kingdom understand now." Jet gestures widely to the boat's occupants. "You think these people were just asked kindly to leave their homes?" Jet's voice is only an octave above a whisper but his words ring in Zuko's ears, and he really wants to tell him to shut up. "I bet you that they've _all_ lost children or spouses or other relatives to this war." The man pauses again, turning back to Zuko, his brown eyes burning in anger with an intensity usually only found in a firebender. "I think you're starting to get me, Lee... if that's even your real name. At least you know what it's like to be, how should I put it, _burned_ by the Fire Nation."

Zuko grimaces as Jet carelessly gestures to his scar, and he has to physically prevent his hand from touching his face. He wonders if it's too late to disappear downstairs to find Katara and his uncle. Making up his mind and already preparing to walk away, Jet conveniently stops him with another attempt at a conversation.

He doesn't understand why Jet bothers.

"You must have some importance, to have captured the waterbender's attention." Jet rakes his gaze over Zuko's entire body, lingering on the swords hooked to his belt.

"You must have done something horrible to have gotten her contempt," he retorts back only to find that Jet's response is a simple chuckle. The freedom fighter brushes off Zuko's words completely.

"You any handy with those blades?"

Zuko shrugs his shoulders, settling in again to endure spending more time with this man. "I'm proficient."

Jet arches an eyebrow as if already knowing how much of an understatement Zuko's words are. But he seems pleased nonetheless and brings out his own hooked swords, swinging them around to show Zuko. "You interested in getting back at the rich?"

"Depends what you're suggesting..." There's a wicked gleam in Jet's eyes that has Zuko trailing off. He narrows his golden gaze, eyes caught on the end of the hook swords and wondering how many seconds it will take for Jet to kill him if he revealed that he is a firebender. Zuko decides to make his own personal bet that will-hopefully-never be proven right or not.

He decides on two seconds. One for internalizing the words and initial shock and the second for actually following through with the action.

Jet is oblivious to all of this and continues to speak. "There's a little bit of food that the Captain hordes all to himself. It's nothing like the slop they've been serving us."

The words weave their way into his head as he filters through all the possibilities. In the end, as with all bad decisions, the thought of boredom and food has already supplied him with an answer. Itching for something to do, Zuko doesn't hesitate with his response. "I'm in."

Even if he hates Jet and doesn't quite understand what transpired between him and Katara yet, his growling stomach overrules any sane thoughts he has. Besides, he wants to keep an eye on this freedom fighter. He's a curious person after all.

* * *

 **Sorry for the short chapter, but I'm in college right now and I really wanted to get this out to you fast. I haven't quite settled down enough yet to find my happy place and just write, but hopefully that will come soon.**

 **Anyways, hope you enjoyed it!**

 **Please review/follow/favorite:)**


End file.
